In a fraction of a second, the object receiving the laser pulse was heated to incandescence, producing its characteristic spectrum.

But the question that nagged physicists was: what causes this characteristic spectrum?

Each of the 92 elements emits a characteristic spectrum.

Compounds of radium flame red-purple and give a characteristic spectrum.

The most common light sources are thermal: a body at a given temperature emits a characteristic spectrum of black-body radiation.

Its salts are rose-colored and give characteristic spectra.

Although they are luminous and often have strong emission lines, they have characteristic spectra of their own.

Using it, they were able to identify the characteristic spectra of sodium, lithium, and potassium.

Fortunately, this effect has a characteristic spectrum, whereas gravitational distortion is independent of wavelength.

Each pathogenic species has a characteristic spectrum of interactions with its human hosts.