Diamond Light Source: illuminating chemistry

Investigating matter at the atomic and molecular scale presents huge technical challenges but reaps enormous rewards as we begin to understand form and function at the most fundamental level. One of the most powerful tools for exploring these new molecular frontiers is the synchrotron. This is a particle accelerator that produces high intensity beams of focussed light, ranging in wavelength from infrared to very short wavelength x-rays. The brilliance of this light, and the ability to tune and focus the beams with high precision, differentiates synchrotron light from that produced by conventional lab-based sources. 

The applications of synchrotron science range from fundamental physics, chemistry and structural biology to materials science, engineering, earth and environmental sciences. This benefits industrial processes as diverse as drug development, tackling pollution and cultural heritage conservation. 

The UK's national synchrotron science facility is Diamond Light Source in Oxfordshire. Diamond opened in 2007 and can produce beams of light 10 billion times brighter than the sun, allowing experiments to be carried out that would not be possible in a normal lab.