A Synchrotron Light Source is a large machine, designed to produce the synchrotron light, with the function of unveiling the molecular structure and electronic structure of the different materials to understand their fundamental properties. Today, they are the best tool ever created by science for this purpose, and are in constant improvement, so they can provide more and more information on the materials, with increasing resolution and detail.
The creation of such a complex machine is the product of a whole history of development of tools that have enabled man to observe matter with increasing detail, and which are decisive for the scientific advancement.
The versatility of synchrotron light sources allows the study of matter in its most varied forms and applications in practically all areas of scientific and technological knowledge, such as physics, chemistry, materials engineering, nanotechnology, biotechnology, pharmacology, medicine, geology and geophysics, agriculture, oceanography, oil and gas, paleontology and many others.
To produce synchrotron radiation it is necessary to keep electrons traveling at speeds close to that of light. By having their trajectory deflected by magnetic fields, these particles emit synchrotron light. Synchrotron light sources are composed of three of particle accelerators: a linear accelerator – or Linac, an injector accelerator – or Booster – and a Storage Ring.