Are you interested in investigating materials and their properties with unsurpassed accuracy and fidelity? Synchrotrons and XFELs count as Science’s premier microscopic tool in scientific endeavours as diverse as molecular biology, environmental science, cultural heritage, catalytical chemistry, and the electronic properties of novel materials, to name but a few examples.

This first of two courses is pitched at a level to provide valuable insights into this broad spectrum of scientific disciplines, from the generation of x-rays, via the interaction of x-rays with matter, to a description of the machines that produce intense x-ray sources. The sister course will concentrate on modern experiments performed using these facilities.