Nuclear spectroscopy is a powerful tool in the arsenal of scientists studying the structure of matter based upon the reactions that take place in excited atomic nuclei. Nuclear spectroscopy is a widely used technique to determine the composition of substances because it is more sensitive than other spectroscopic methods and can detect the trace presence of elements that may only be present on the order of parts per billion in an unknown substance.

Nuclear spectroscopic technology allowing the identification of trace elements in soil and water samples has increasing use in ecological, agricultural and geological research. Applications of nuclear spectroscopic principles are important to the development of non-invasive diagnostic tools used by physicians.

A number of methods can be used to excite atomic nuclei and then measure their decaying gamma ray emissions as the atoms return to normal energy levels (i.e., their ground state). The...