What is a microcallorimeter?

microcallorimeter is a sensitive thermal device used to measure the energy of individual particles or photons, elementary particles of light. It is a type of calorimeter - a tool that measures the heat released by physical or chemical reactions in the sample. Microcallorimeters are used in astrophysics to measure the energy of X -ray photons from space. Related devices, isothermal microcallorimeter, are used in biochemistry and related fields to detect small energy changes at low temperatures. Microcallorimeters work on the basis of this principle. Energy from physical interaction or chemical reaction is transformed into heat inside the system and by measuring the heat change that results in, the energy of the interaction can be derived.N components: absorber, cooler and thermistor. When the X -ray photon hits the absorber, the energy is transferred to the electron in the absorbed material atom. This energy causes the electron to be excited - it jumps further from the atomic core and relaxes from the orbit. Other electrons in the absorber of the moohou be enthusiastic about smaller degrees with this free electron and rise to higher energy orbit around their atoms.

The

released electrons release energy as they return to their ground or lowest energy state - stable orbit around atoms. The energy released in this process is preserved and converted into heat, causing the temperature in the absorber to rise by a small amount. This temperature change is detected by the thermometer in the absorber known as the thermistor. The heat then flows into the cooler, causing the absorber to return the original temperature. Measurement of temperature change caused by the impact of X -ray can calculate the original X -ray energy.

isothermal microcallorimeter works in almost the same way, although it is used to measure chemical interactions rather than photon energy. This device consists of a radiator and a closed reaction container in which chemicalreaction. The thermal sink ensures that the reaction vessel is maintained at constant temperature, allowing accurate measurements. When a chemical reaction occurs, a certain amount of energy was released such as heat or absorbed, causing a change in the temperature that is registered by the microcallorimeter. Isothermal microcallorimeters have applications in physical chemistry, biochemistry and pharmaceutical industry because they provide a highly sensitive way to analyze heat flow in response.

microcallorimeters must work at low temperatures to make it change in heat can be registered. For example, a device used in astrophysics is maintained almost at absolute zero. At this temperature, a small change in thermal energy caused by the impact of a single photon can be detected. Isothermal microcallorimeters are not so extreme, but are still maintained at much lower temperatures than macro-meter calorimeters.