School of Physical Sciences	SEMINAR SERIES

Synchrotron radiation has important properties that have made it an increasingly powerful research tool. It provides a smooth continuum from X-rays to IR radiation giving it a wide range of applications. This tuneable source features high brilliance, narrow collimation and well defined polarisation characteristics. Its use has extended from sole use by physicists to a broad range of scientists and especially those working in the life sciences.

The nature and properties of Synchrotron Radiation will be described, and examples of the ways these properties have been exploited will be given. In particular the use of synchrotron radiation to explore electron-electron correlated systems in atoms and molecules will be discussed. These provide particularly clean systems to study the fundamental three-body Coulomb problem.