Common mistakes are finally brought to light

What is it about?

Synchrotron sources are very widely used worldwide for research in physics, chemistry, materials, biology and other disciplines. They are the top practical application of Einstein's relativity. Paradoxically, however, after six decades of history the relativistic phenomena that allow electron accelerators to emit x-rays are often misrepresented and/or misunderstood. We present a correct explanation in very simple terms, which allows non-specialists to grasp the essential facts in a correct way and without heavy mathematical formalism. We show, in particular, that the above problems reflect in part a common misunderstanding about the nature of the relativistic Doppler effect.

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Why is it important?

For physicists, mastering special relativity is an essential part of the professional foundations. For a general public of non-specialists, history has shown that a minimal understanding of the nature of synchrotron radiation often opens the door to new applications or to refinements of existing ones

Perspectives

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Synchrotron radiation was affected for six decades by a communication problem. Its foundations were formulated in the 1940's by specialists and for specialists of particle accelerator. The "outsiders", who by now are the overwhelming majority of synchrotron users, find these theories very difficult to digest. I have been struggling for decades to evelop alternate, simple and non-formal models. This work is a major step in my efforts.

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