Research Using Synchrotron Radiation

In a period of less than ten years, the use of synchrotron radiation in the study of the optical and electronic properties of solids, liquids, and gases has developed from a laboratory curiosity into a widely exploited technique applicable to the needs of investigators working in physics, chemistry, and biology. In this report we discuss the history, present state and future development of this phenomenon in far ultraviolet and soft x-ray research.