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UC3M Research Report
Our group is known as LIR, Infrared Lab.
Its origin can be traced to way back in the early 90s,
when I joined the University.
We are currently around 15 researchers.
The general scientific goal of the research group
is to study Infrared-Radiation Interaction
with Matter,
to be able to remotely extract properties from matter itself.
From its composition, concentration, kinds of gases,
from intervening atoms, from molecules, temperature...
The Infrared is part of an electromagnetic spectrum
that emits at longer wavelengths than the visible spectrum.
This consists of two significant properties.
One refers to the capacity that
bodies with relatively low temperatures,
as is possible in the human body, or in other industrial processes,
below tens or hundreds of degrees,
can be observed without the need for illumination.
The other great property is
that a large part of molecule-like emissions,
from molecules that make up from life itself
to the gases that we breath etc.,
occur in infrared spectrum.
These two properties combined
is what permits us to characterize the interaction
between radiation and matter.
Another of the applications in which we are presently working
is the capacity to remotely analyse the structural and compositional
properties of materials, from a distance and without contact.
For example, properties with hidden defects
in the inside of the materials, lamination bubbles, etc.,
that can be detected
through non-destructive analytical techniques
based on the interaction of infrared
with these kinds of structures.
Over the years, our research group
has participated in more than 50 projects.
Some were national and others international in nature,
some with the Ministry of Science and Technology
and others with Autonomous Communities; but all were very competitive.
The group has also worked on many projects
with and for national and foreign industries.
The environmental applicability
is another of the aspects in which infrared technology
is contributing and can contribute even more.
For example, energy efficiency in buildings:
We have run a series of tests in which we have been able to see
how poorly constructed buildings
or buildings that suffer energy loss,
can be remotely detected using our techniques
based on infrared imaging.
Another project of great scientific interest
in which we are involved,
is the possibility to remotely measure the cloud temperature
from the International Space Station.
Indeed it is a project with an ultimate goal
of measuring ultra-high energy radiation in space.