This second volume in the HERCULES Course on Neutron and Synchrotron Radiation for Condensed Matter Studies is devoted to selected applications in physics and chemistry of solids, with the fourteen chapters ranging from general considerations of symmetry in condensed matter to the most recent developments in magnetic excitations and electron spectroscopies in high Tc superconductors. The subjects were chosen either for their basic importance or because of interesting new developments, while the fifteen authors were selected both for their high scientific expertise and their teaching skills.

The present volume is the third and last in the series based on the HERCULES Course on Neutron and Synchrotron Radiation for Condensed Matter Studies. It covers selected applications of neutron and synchrotron radiation to soft condensed matter (introduction plus 7 chapters) and biology (introduction plus 10 chapters). The fields are extremely wide, so only some selected topics representative of recent interest and developments are reported. The authors were selected for their scientific expertise and teaching skills. An index covering the content of all three volumes is included.

This second volume in the HERCULES Course on Neutron and Synchrotron Radiation for Condensed Matter Studies is devoted to selected applications in physics and chemistry of solids, with the fourteen chapters ranging from general considerations of symmetry in condensed matter to the most recent developments in magnetic excitations and electron spectroscopies in high Tc superconductors. The subjects were chosen either for their basic importance or because of interesting new developments, while the fifteen authors were selected both for their high scientific expertise and their teaching skills.

Understanding and manipulating the properties of materials naturally occurring in our world and artificially produced by modern technologies requires detailed information on their properties on the atomic scale. This information is the basis for any kind of research in physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, metallurgy, and ceramics. Among the various experimental methods, neutron and photon scattering have become the key techniques of choice. This book provides an overview of the complementarity between neutron and synchrotron x-ray scattering. The most important topics are covered, including structure determination, magnetic correlations, polymer dynamics, thin films and multilayers, photoemission studies, etc; they are thoroughly introduced and discussed by experts from both the experimental and the theoretical side. Contents:Neutron- and Synchrotron X-Ray Scattering (The Theoretical Principles) (W E Fischer)Structure Determination by Powder Synchrotron X-Ray Diffraction (A N Fitch)Magnetic Neutron and Synchrotron X-Ray Scattering (W G Stirling)Magnetic Excitations Through the Eye of the Neutron (W J L Buyers)Topological Excitations in Low-Dimensional Magnets (H B Braun)Elastic and Inelastic X-Ray Scattering from Correlated Electrons: A Theoretical Perspective (M Altarelli)From Thin Films to Superlattices Studied with X-Rays and Neutrons (D F McMorrow)Small-Angle and Surface Scattering from Porous and Fractal Materials (S K Sinha)Hot Topics in Condensed Matter Physics (H R Ott)Neutron Beam Optics (P Böni)Synchrotron X-Ray Beam Optics (A Freund)Summary Lecture: Some Features of the Scattering and Absorption of Beams of Neutrons and Beams of X-Rays (S W Lovesey)and other papers Readership: Condensed matter and solid state physicists. Keywords:Photon Scattering;Structure Determination;Magnetic Correlations;Polymer Dynamics;Thin Films;Multilayers;Photoemission Studies;Synchrotron X-Ray;Optics;Neutrons