Centrifuges - Analytical Ultracentrifuge AUC

Analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) is used to characterize proteins, macromolecules, nanoparticles and other heterogeneous mixtures. It provides data for the determination of molecular and complex masses, sizes and size distributions as well as many thermodynamic parameters. An analytical ultracentrifuge is an ultracentrifuge that optically detects the sample by means of a detector during the centrifugation process in a vacuum. Special measuring cells in a special rotor are used for this purpose. The measuring cells typically consist of sector-shaped sample containers that are sealed off by optically transparent glass windows. The optical detectors used are based on principles that allow the association of the measurement signal with the concentration of the species under investigation (e.g. Lambert-Beer’s law). Currently commercially available are absorption and interference detectors.