Photon Science

The nanocosmos in X-ray light

When doctors take an X-ray, they generate an image of the interior of the patient’s body, allowing them to determine, for example, whether a bone has been broken as a result of an accident. Scientists too benefit from the penetrating capability of X-rays. For example, when physicists X-ray nanomaterial samples, they see not only which types of atoms are present but also how the atoms are arranged. Chemists use X-rays to precisely analyse what happens during catalysis – a process of enormous economic importance. Biologists work with X-rays to reveal the structures of proteins in order to better understand the causes of illness and develop better treatments.