Synchrotron radiation and its applications to chemistry

It is stated that a 2 GeV, 1 A electron storage ring (the SRS) is under construction at the Daresbury Laboratory U.K. as a source of synchrotron radiation. This source will have extremely high brightness in the x-ray region and will yield wave lengths into the far infrared. The applications of synchrotron radiation have already resulted in advances in the understanding of the properties of, for example, ionic solids, metal surfaces and the structure and function of biological macromolecules. Synchrotron radiation offers the possibility of technological advances in areas such as x-ray microscopy and holography, and routine testing and production of microcircuit elements. (author)