A synchrotron is a cyclic particle accelerator that generates an extremely intense beam of light, in frequencies ranging from infra-red to hard X-rays, which enable a range of high-impact research applications with practical outcomes.
A wide array of research is conducted using the synchrotron light, which can be broadly categorised according to six analysis techniques: Crystallography, Diffraction, Imaging, Microscopy, Spectroscopy and Scattering. Each beamline is tailored towards a particular technique with specialised equipment.
| This brief video from the University of Saskatchewan describes how synchrotrons work. | |
| This video from the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory provides more detail on the applications of synchrotrons. |
