Besides its coverage of the four important aspects of synchrotron sources, materials and material processes, measuring techniques, and applications, this ready reference presents both important method types: diffraction and tomography.
Following an introduction, a general section leads on to methods, while further sections are devoted to emerging methods and industrial applications. In this way, the text provides new users of large-scale facilities with easy access to an understanding of both the methods and opportunities offered by different sources and instruments.

Born in 1954, Walter Reimers studied mineralogy at the universites of Heidelberg and Marburg, and was awarded hic doctorate at the latter in 1980. In 1989 he gained his lecturing qualification at the University of Dortmund, and began work at the Hahn-Meitner Institute in Berlin the following year. The same year he started lexturing at the TU Berlin, where he was appinted professor in 1995. From 1998 to 2000, Professor Reimers was head of structural research at the Hahn-Meitner Institute, Berlin, and has held the chair for metallic materials at the TU Berlin since 2001.

Born in 1966, Anke Rita Pyzalla studied mechanical engineering and mechanics at the Ruhr-University Bochum and graduated from the TH Darmstadt in mechanics. She gained her doctorate in 1995 and her lecturing qualification in 2001 at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Ruhr-University Bochum. From 1995 to 2001 she was staff scientist at Hahn-Meitner Institute, Berlin, from 2001 until 2003 senior staff scientist at TU Berlin. From 2003 to 2005 she held the Chair of Materials Technology, Joining and Cpmponent Testing at TU Wien, Vienna. Since 2005 she is director and executive at the Max-Planck-Institute für Eisenforschun GmbH, Düsseldorf.
Prof. Pyzalla is editor of three scientific journals.

Born in 1963, Andreas Schreyer studies physics and geophysics at the Ruhr University Bochum, gaining his doctorate in 1994 and his lecturing qualification in 2000. After lecturing at the Ruhr University Bochum, he took up a professional chair at Hamburg University in 2001, as well as heading the Department of Material Characterization with Neutron and Synchrotron Radiation at the GKSS Research Center, Geesthacht. Since 2006 he is head of the Institute for Materials Research at the GKSS responsibile for Materials Physics. Professor Schreyer is the deputy spokesperson of the programm 'Large Scale Facilities for Research with Photos, Neutrons, and lons 'of the Helmholtzgemeinschaft'.

Born in 1957, Helmut Clemens studied materials science at the University of Leoben, Austria, gaining his doctorate in 1987. He joined Plansee AG, Austria, as head of the Advanced Materials R&D group in 1990, gaining his lecturing qualification in 1997. From 1998 to 2000 he was Professor for Metallic Materials at the Institute for Physical Metallurgy, University of Stuttgart, Germany, before moving to the Institute for Materials Research, GKSS Research Center, Geestacht, in a joint appointment as Professor at the Christian-Albrechts University Kiel. Since July 2003 he is head of the Department of Physical Metallurgy and Materials Testing at the University of Leoben. Prof. Clemens has won several awards, including the Erich Schmid Prize of the Austrian Academy of Science.