What do students need to know about how a synchrotron produces electromagnetic radiation?
Whenever an electric charge (in this case an electron) is accelerated, electromagnetic radiation is emitted. The greater the acceleration the more energetic is the emitted radiation. Acceleration is the change of VELOCITY with time. Thus if the electron changes speed or direction, radiation results. In the case of synchrotron radiation, the radiation results from a change of direction due to the bending magnets, or the magnetic insertion devices.
