How does the production of synchrotron radiation differ from other methods of producing electromagnetic radiation?
Electromagnetic radiation is produced in a number of ways. These include the acceleration of charged particles by an electric and/or magnetic field, the transition of electrons from one energy level to another within an atom, the annihilation of a particle with its anti-particle. Synchrotron radiation is electromagnetic radiation produced by the acceleration of very fast moving electrons in magnetic fields (see FAQ 1). When electromagnetic radiation is produced by accelerating slow moving electrons (e.g. electrons in a radio transmitter) electromagnetic waves are emitted in ‘all directions’. However, relativistic effects result in synchrotron radiation being shaped into a narrow beam (a cone) along a tangent to the curved path of the electron.
