I.10 — Synchrotron radiation

Electrons circulating in a storage ring emit synchrotron radiation. The spectrum of this powerful radiation spans from the far infrared to the X-rays. Synchrotron radiation has evolved from being a mere byproduct of particle acceleration to a powerful tool leveraged in diverse scientific and engineering fields. Indeed, synchrotrons are the most brilliant X-ray sources on Earth, and they find use in a wide range of fields in research. In this chapter, we will look at the generation of radiation of charged particles in an accelerator, at the influence of this on the beam dynamics, and on the physics behind applications of synchrotron radiation for research.