Diamond Light Source

- Solving the mystery of the 6th century Anglo-Saxon brooch... 🕵️

Between 2010 and 2014, archaeologists excavated an Anglo-Saxon cemetery and uncovered an intriguing large brooch, made from copper with gilt and had enamel decoration. What was interesting was that enamel isn't usually associated with Ango-Saxon artefacts from the 6th century.

Scientists from the University of Lancashire brought the brooch to Diamond in 2018 to find out more about its composition. They used synchrotron technologies on the I18 beamline and found that it was likely made from recycled materials using a similar enamelling method to the Romans.

Merging Anglo-Saxon art with Roman-British technology, the brooch is evidence that the phenomenon was more significant than once thought.

- Today we’re taking it back to 2018, when researchers came to Diamond to investigate which techniques are most effective for conserving iron cannonballs from the Mary Rose 🚢🤴

When Henry VIII’s famous warship sank in 1545, it carried with it 1,248 cannonballs. After the ship was excavated, conservationists trialled a range of methods to preserve them, creating a unique opportunity for scientists to evaluate which approaches work best.

Researchers used techniques such as X-ray powder , absorption and X-ray to differentiate iron corrosion products formed during different conservation treatments 🔬

These findings are helping conservationists make more informed decisions about how to preserve important iron artefacts for future generations.

Did you know that Diamond's I13-2 beamline has been used to uncover some fascinating insights into bees?🐝

Bees are vital to keep the world buzzing. From propping up ecosystems to pollinating food crops, humans have relied on bees for our survival over millenia. But how do they navigate their way through several kilometres of complex habitats?

In honour of , swipe to discover how scientists used synchrotron technology at Diamond to explore the visual world of bees!👀🔬

Happy !

This year's theme is , and at Diamond we use synchrotron light to support research into:

⚡ Clean energy technologies
🔋 Battery and catalyst development
♻️ Sustainable and recyclable materials

Swipe to discover six fun facts that you might not know about light at Diamond Light Source…💡☀️🔦

- Seven years ago, ancient scrolls with the potential to transform our understanding of life in ancient Rome arrived at Diamond…📜

In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted and destroyed the town of Herculaneum, damaging thousands of manuscripts - the only surviving library from antiquity.

Jumping to 2019, some of the fragile scrolls were carefully transported to Diamond and scanned on our I12 JEEP beamline to "digitally unwrap" the texts that can't be opened in any other way. Combining the scans with AI software, the researchers uncovered thousands of characters!

In 2024, another Herculaneum scroll from Bodleian Libraries was scanned at Diamond and one of the first translated words was διατροπή, which means 'disgust' in Ancient Greek.

These discoveries are a brilliant example of scientists and historians working together to unlock the past.

- Today we're taking it back to 2019, when researchers used Diamond's I18 beamline to examine a paint sample from Rembrandt's Homer 🎨🖌️

Like many other Old Master paintings, white lead-rich deposits appeared on the painting over time. So to help future generations continue enjoying the work of the Old Masters, a team of conservation scientists used X-ray Diffraction Computed Tomography to understand the evolving chemistry both on and beneath the painting's surface.

This led to the discovery of how the lead-containing paint reacted with pollutants in the air - a key starting point for further investigating the degradation process and pinpointing the best treatments.

Stay tuned for more examples of how synchrotron light at Diamond can aid !

Dorchester Festival, over and out!

From hooking ducks to looking down microscopes, lots of visitors got to explore how Diamond's bright light can help us understand diseases and create cures. 🦆🔬

Thank you to the organisers, our staff volunteers and everyone who came to see us - we hope you enjoyed it as much as us!✨

Looking for educational, family-friendly fun on the Early May Bank Holiday? We've got just the thing!

Our public engagement team will be at the Dorchester Festival on Monday 4 May. Come along to the “Science Mad!” session for hands on science activities and discover how we use bright light at Diamond to learn about tiny structures at an atomic level 🔎🔬

📅 Monday 4 May 2026
📍 Festival Big Tent, Dorchester Abbey
🕛 12:00-16:00
🎟️ Free entry

Have a look at the festival programme online 👉 https://dorchesterfestival.com/the-2026-festival-programme/

Today is , observed every year on 22 April since its inception in the 1970s 🌍

To mark the occasion, we’re sharing new research that shows how synchrotron science is helping us towards a more renewable, sustainable future. Using X‑ray absorption spectroscopy on Diamond’s B18 beamline, researchers have gained key insights into how plastic waste could be converted into hydrogen fuel using sunlight ☀️

Read the full science highlight 👉 https://www.diamond.ac.uk/Science/Research/Highlights/2026/Turning-plastic-waste-into-clean-hydrogen-.html

If you haven't had the chance to see inside the UK's national synchrotron yet, this could be it...

Our next public open day takes place on Saturday 30 May and the ticket ballot is open until Sunday 3 May, so there's still time to enter!🎟️

On our open days, members of the public get to see our particle accelerator, explore our experimental labs and chat with the scientists and engineers who work here.

📅 Saturday 30 May 2026
⌛ Enter by Sunday 3 May 2026
ℹ️ These events are very popular and we have a limit on the number of visitors we can accommodate so we operate a ballot system to offer a fair allocation of spaces.

Interested? Find out more on our website 👉 https://www.diamond.ac.uk/Public/Public/Inside-Diamond-Public-Open-Days.html