Synchrotron radiation and neutron properties: the use of these different radiations for the study the structure of materials

Full text: A brief description of synchrotron radiation and neutron emission will be presented. For synchrotrons, a comparison of the emission of x rays from bending magnets, wigglers and undulators will be given. The generation of neutrons in reactors and spallation sources will be briefly discussed. The very different, one might say complementary, properties of these radiations make them suitable for use together for the solution of the structure of materials. In particular, the talk will cover: the use of anomalous diffraction techniques for structure determination in powder diffraction (multiple (wavelength) anomalous diffraction (MAD) and diffraction anomalous fine structure (DAFS); x ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) close to the critical angle of reflection and the link to total reflection x ray fluorescence analysis (TXRF); and the use of x-rays and neutrons for the study of surfaces and interfaces using reflectometer techniques. Copyright (1999) Australian X-ray Analytical Association Inc