A synchrotron is a type of particle accelerator whose main purpose is to study the composition of matter. Since the discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012, this technology jargon sounds more familiar to us. Now, it seems that the tool of the future to get a better knowledge of matter composition will be the 4D X-Ray Synchrotron, a machine which allows the scientists to take a look inside the inner structure of materials without breaking it apart.
Time, the fourth dimension, facilitates the replication of the conditions undergone by matter, such as temperature variations, pressure, etc., thus comprehending its behaviour and transformation processes better.
Thanks to this technology we could, for instance, understand in medicine how implants interact with human tissues, or magma’s behaviour during volcanic eruptions.