The DUBBLE Beam Lines at the ESRF: Extremely brilliant X-rays for revealing the structure and function of atoms, molecules and materials

Synchrotron X-rays are produced when charged particles circulate in a storage ring close to the speed of light and are much more intense compared to the X-rays used for example in hospitals. By studying the interaction of a synchrotron X-ray beam with matter, the matter structure is revealed down to the atomic and molecular scale. A synchrotron can be imagined as a giant microscope that can  ook at the inside of non-living and living matter down to the atomic level without damaging it. This project finances research at DUBBLE, the Dutch-Flemish research stations attached to the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, ESRF, in Grenoble. Through experiments at the  SRF, Flemish scientists and engineers are able to explain the chemical and physical properties of matter. With this knowledge, they can design new materials, advanced electronic components or better solar cells. Such studies also allow revealing what our planet is made of, what the processes are that sustain life or what the secrets are hidden behind old paintings. Others use the outcome of synchrotron based research to develop more tasty and healthy food or to find new ways of conquering health threatening deceases.