The year 2018 marked the 50th anniversary of the first scientific applications of synchrotron radiation in the UK. Over this period, synchrotron science has been transformed from a highly specialized field into a mainstream area in physics, chemistry, engineering, biomolecular, medical and heritage science. A conference was held at the University of Liverpool in June 2018, to celebrate 50 years of synchrotron radiation in the UK, its impact nationally and globally, and to survey the achievements of the field and look to the future. This volume contains a collection of articles from contributors to the conference. It includes historical aspects relating to the development of synchrotron sources, accounts of current facilities and discussions of key application areas. We hope that the volume helps to give a perspective on how the field has developed over the five decades and indicates some of the future opportunities.
We are grateful to all who contributed to the conference and to this volume. Special thanks are due to the organizing committee that included Susan Smith (STFC) and Andrew Harrison (DIAMOND) and the programme committee. We are also grateful to Sue Waller and her team for the event organization.
