Natural Phenomenon or Process
fluorescence
fluo·res·cence [ flaw-res-uhns, floh- ]
Subclass of:
luminescence
Definitions related to fluorescence:
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Absorption of a photon of light followed, after a delay, by emission of a photon of longer wavelength.CRISP ThesaurusNational Institutes of Health, 2006
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Fluorescence is a luminescence (i.e., optical phenomenon) in cold bodies, in which a molecule absorbs a high-energy photon, and re-emits it as a lower-energy (longer-wavelength) photon. The energy difference between the absorbed and emitted photons ends up as molecular vibrations (heat).NCI ThesaurusU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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The property of emitting radiation while being irradiated. The radiation emitted is usually of longer wavelength than that incident or absorbed, e.g., a substance can be irradiated with invisible radiation and emit visible light. X-ray fluorescence is used in diagnosis.NLM Medical Subject HeadingsU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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