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Updated: Nov 11, 2025

Calcium Carbonate Formation in the Presence of Biopolymeric Additives
Published on: May 14, 2019
Photoacoustic Detection of Weak Absorption Bands in Infrared Spectra of Calcite
Stephen Campbell1, Marisa Dusseault1, Ben Xu2
1Department of Physics and Physical Oceanography, 7512Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada.
Abstract:
Photoacoustic spectroscopic detection of infrared absorption often produces spectra with enhanced intensities for weaker peaks, enabling the detection of features due to overtones and combinations, as well as less-abundant isotopic species. To illustrate this phenomenon, we present and discuss photoacoustic infrared spectra of calcite. We use linearization of rapid-scan spectra, as well as comparing step-scan and rapid-scan spectra, to demonstrate that saturation is not the driving force behind these enhanced intensities. Our results point to a significant knowledge gap, since a theoretical basis for the enhancement of these weak bands has not yet been developed.
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