General Features of SPring-8

• Synchrotron radiation ranging from the soft X-ray (photon energy 300 eV) to hard X-ray region (300 keV) is available with the highest brilliance in the world.  High-energy gamma rays (1.5-2.9 GeV) and infrared radiation are also available.
• Many undulators (up to 38) can be installed and they can be used independently.
• A long insertion device can be installed.  Its length can be as long as 25 m, while the length of a standard device is 4.5 m.  This space can also be used for installing other advanced light sources.
• Advanced experimental facilities (Medium-length Beamline Facility, RI Laboratory, 1 km-long Beamline Facility) are available.

Synchrotron Radiation Spectrum of SPring-8

SPring-8 produces light that is about one billion times more brilliant than conventional X-ray sources.

Third-Generation Synchrotron Radiation Facility

A synchrotron radiation facility is composed of an injector and a storage ring.  The injector generates an electron beam and accelerates electrons to high energies.  The storage ring has a shape of a ring and accumulates the accelerated electrons in it.  A facility with a high-energy storage ring of more than about 5 GeV is called a large synchrotron radiation facility.  A third-generation synchrotron radiation facility is a facility designed especially for installing as many insertion devices as possible in a dedicated storage ring.  There are three large third-generation synchrotron radiation facility in the world: SPring-8, APS and ESRF.