The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble

The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) is the first member of a new generation of synchrotron radiation sources in which the brilliance of the beam and the utilization of insertion devices are pushed to their limits. A discussion is presented of machine parameters, beam lines, detectors, and data treatment. The technical challenges in the new machine are: mechanical stability in the micrometer range of a 6-GeV electron storage ring with a circumference of 850 m, the performance of optical elements with atomic scale flatness of its surfaces under extreme radiation load, and the data handling of an enormous data flow coming from 0-, 1-, and 2-D X-ray detectors.<
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