History of Synchrotron Radiation

Although natural synchrotron radiation from charged particles spiraling around magnetic-field lines in space is as old as the stars—for example, the light we see from the Crab Nebula—short-wavelength synchrotron radiation generated by relativistic electrons in circular accelerators is a modern phenomenon. The first observation—literally, since it was visible light that was seen—came at the General Electric Research Laboratory in Schenectady, New York, on April 24, 1947. In the 68 years since, synchrotron radiation has become a premier research tool for the study of matter in all its varied manifestations, as facilities around the world constantly evolved to provide this light in ever more useful forms.