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Properties
2. Continuous spectrum - from infrared to hard X-rays
Uses and applications
The diverse uses of synchrotrons
• medical imaging and therapy
• materials engineering
• environment
• forensics
• manufacturing
• medicine and pharmaceuticals
• agriculture
• minerals
• micromachining
Uses and applications
X-ray imaging: human finger
conventional X-ray
synchrotron
synchrotron: phase contrast
Uses and applications
X-ray imaging: iron in livers
2mm
Uses and applications
Rat heart
Uses and applications
Materials Engineering
The Australian Defence Force has
used synchrotron light to help
develop improved ceramic coatings
for jet engines.
These coatings protect the
engines and allow for greater
thrust.
Uses and applications
Environment
Synchrotrons are being used to
investigate the sources of
pollutants in water supplies.
Resulting in cleaner drinking water in
developing countries.
Uses and applications
Environment
Air samples collected from New
York after the collapse of the World
Trade Centre were analysed at a
United States synchrotron.
The results showed how the
debris pile acted like a chemical
factory and emitted toxic metals,
acids and organics, all with
potential health impacts.
Uses and applications
Forensics
Extremely small samples from crime
scenes can be analysed using
synchrotron technology.
Forged documents and counterfeit
money can be detected using
synchrotron techniques.
Uses and applications
Manufacturing
Cadbury UK wanted to produce the most stable, smooth and
best- tasting chocolate. They utilised a synchrotron to
investigate the manufacturing process at the molecular level
to optimise production conditions.
Food scientists have long known that as
cocoa butter cools it can solidify into
several different crystalline structures.
Most agree there are six crystal
structures, prosaically named
polymorph I to VI. Each has distinct
properties—some favourable, some not.
The lower numbered polymorphs are no
good for chocolate–they are too sticky
and unstable. The natural and most
stable form is polymorph VI but it is very
brittle and makes a bland chocolate.
Polymorph V makes the best chocolate.
It has a melting point just below body
temperature so it dissolves in the
mouth. But polymorph V is difficult to
make and converts to other
polymorphs.
The key to making polymorph V is
tempering - quickly cooling the hot
mixture produces low number
polymorphs. With slow reheating
these turn to polymorph V.
So what is the optimum
combination of heating, cooling and
stirring needed to deliver smooth,
melt-in-the-mouth, polymorph V
chocolate?
That’s where synchrotron light
comes in. It allows the crystal
structures to be monitored as they
are forming, while the cocoa butter
is being heated, tempered and
stirred. The intensity of synchrotron
light makes such in situ
experiments possible.
Uses and applications
Medicine and pharmaceuticals
By modelling virus proteins, medicines can
be created to block these proteins.
For example, Relenza, which blocks
the life cycle of the flu virus, which was
created by CSIRO scientists using
synchrotron technology.
Uses and applications
Agriculture
A synchrotron was used to confirm the
structure of a new wool fibre in
comparison to silk.
Scientists created Optim - a fibre made
from wool that mimics the structure of silk.
The fibre is now in commercial production.
Uses and applications
Minerals
Using synchrotron light
scientists have studied nickel
and cobalt during extraction.
Using this information to optimise production
conditions can increase extraction rates from
60% up to 95%.
Uses and applications
Micromachining
Synchrotron light is used to
manufacture tiny machine parts.
An ant investigating a tiny cog
Inkjet printer heads are an
everyday example of this
micromachining.
A minute cog resting inside the eye of a needle
Uses and applications
2003 Nobel Prize for Chemistry
Biochemists Peter Agre and
Roderick MacKinnon used a US
synchrotron as part of their 2003
Nobel Prize for Chemistry
research on how water flows
across cellular membranes and
how cells communicate.
Their work will help with the
understanding of molecular
pathways of disease.
Uses and applications
Similar radiation to that used by the
synchrotron is also emitted from
astronomical sources.
The glow in the photograph is due to
very fast electrons moving in curved
paths into magnetic fields.
The orange spot is a galaxy ‘M87’
This galaxy is in the Virgo Cluster of
galaxies, located about 60 million
light years away from us.
Photo courtesy:
NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre (NASAGSFC)
Further reading and resources
An excellent animation showing the production of x-rays in a synchrotron
can be viewed at
www.isa.au.dk/animations/Finalmovie/astrid_ total_ v2.mov
The State Government of Victoria has further background material
www.synchrotron.vic.gov.au
The Canadian Synchrotron website has further resources
www.lightsource.ca
UWA scientist Dr Peter Hammond has a site on synchrotrons that can be
viewed at http://internal.physics.uwa.edu.au/~hammond/SyncRes/