Derivatives in Spectroscopy, Part II: The True Derivative (PDF)

In this extended Q&A interview, we sit down with Kelsey Williams, a postdoctoral researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), who is working on planetary instrumentation using spectroscopic techniques such as laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and laser ablation molecular isotopic spectrometry (LAMIS). In the final part of our conversation with Williams, she discusses how laser-based spectroscopic techniques might be used in the future to advance space exploration.

An interview with Charles Wilkins, the winner of the 2013 American Chemical Society Division of Analytical Chemistry Award in Chemical Instrumentation, sponsored by the Dow Chemical Company.

In this extended Q&A interview, we sit down with Kelsey Williams, a postdoctoral researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), who is working on planetary instrumentation using spectroscopic techniques such as laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and laser ablation molecular isotopic spectrometry (LAMIS). In Part II of our conversation with Williams, she talks about the potential of mass spectrometry (MS) in space exploration applications.

In honor of National Space Day, we interviewed Kelsey Williams, who is a postdoctoral researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) working on planetary instrumentation using spectroscopic techniques such as laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and laser ablation molecular isotopic spectrometry (LAMIS). In Part I of our interview with Williams, she discusses how her background led her to her current position at LANL.

Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated that a fast, laser-based mass spectrometry method—LA-ICP-TOF-MS—can accurately detect and identify airborne environmental particles, including toxic metal particles like ruthenium, without the need for complex sample preparation. The work offers a breakthrough in rapid, high-resolution analysis of environmental pollutants.

This “Chemometrics in Spectroscopy” column traces the historical and technical development of these methods, emphasizing their application in calibrating spectrophotometers for predicting measured sample chemical or physical properties—particularly in near-infrared (NIR), infrared (IR), Raman, and atomic spectroscopy—and explores how AI and deep learning are reshaping the spectroscopic landscape.