Synchrotron light has a huge range of applications including:
Chemistry
Synchrotrons have been used extensively to study processes such as catalysis. The bright x-rays allow very detailed studies of the type and nature of chemical compounds and how chemicals interact.
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Cultural Heritage
For objects that are important to our cultural heritage, it is vital that the objects are preserved. Synchrotrons offer a non-destructive method of studying such objects for information about their origins, their history and how they are being conserved.
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Earth Science
Synchrotrons have also allowed us to study what happens when we recreate conditions found in the centre of the Earth, or in the early universe, and explore what happens to materials in those extreme conditions.
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Engineering
What happens to materials under stress? How do we know how components such as aircraft engines act when exposed to real working conditions? Synchrotrons enable scientists to study what happens under the surface of materials and observe what happens over time in real working conditions.
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Environmental Science
Understanding the impact of mankind on our planet is a huge challenge facing scientists today. Synchrotrons have allowed us to track pollutants as they move through the environment and analyse possible methods for minimising their impact. Knowledge gained from synchrotron based techniques will enable the development of strategies to reduce our overall environmental impact.
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Life Science
Synchrotrons have become a key tool for biologists wanting to learn about how viruses and bacteria function and what can be done to stop them spreading. Synchrotrons have also been used to study the mechanisms behind cancer and how the body interacts with, for example, metal implants.
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Materials Science
How can we build materials which are stronger, lighter or more chemically reactive? Synchrotrons can be used to study how materials behave on an atomic scale, allowing us to design new materials with the properties we need for a specific task.
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A brief history of synchrotrons