Synchrotron light is electromagnetic radiation that allows to explore the properties of matter at microscopic and atomic levels. It covers a continuum of wavelengths, from infrared to hard X-rays, with a broad range of scientific application.
In order to communicate some of the experiments conducted at the ALBA Synchrotron, a series of five videos will be published in the coming weeks on the ALBA YouTube channel. Environment, biomedicine, food, cultural heritage ... Users coming from universities and research centers explain how they have taken advantage of the synchrotron light and how can benefit for their research.
The first of these videos includes two experiments led by Trinitat Pradell, researcher with the Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, an expert in the physical-chemical analysis of cultural heritage. Using synchrotron light, the researchers were able to confirm that the dark spots present in the chapel of Sant Miquel del Monasteri de Pedralbes in Barcelona were due to the presence of fungi. In the Cathedral of Segovia, the analysis with synchrotron light of the stained glass from different periods helped to understand how they were manufactures and how they must be restored.
Videos are filmed in Spanish and Catalan, although subtitles are available in English, Catalan and Spanish.
These videos are part of the project FCT-15-9828 "Bringing science to society – Outreach science program of the ALBA Synchrotron", funded by the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) - Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the Foundation Obra Social "la Caixa".
