The conference comprises of 3-day symposium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. There were over 150 participants coming from regional and international universitites, research institutions and companies. Malaysian Ministry of Science and Technology and Innovation, Malaysian Nuclear Agency, and International Atomic Energy Agency, International Union of Crystallography, and Malaysia Nuclear Society provided support to the event.

All papers have peer-reviewed. Neutron, especially together with X-ray scattering techniques have been showing the elegant and tremendous achievements in revealing the static and dynamic structures in the wide range of materials, i.e. alloys, ceramics, polymers, composites, and also biological materials for advanced purposes. With the intention on establishing the techniques due to the availibility of the facilities at neutron scattering laboratory in Indonesia and a light X-ray synchrotron laboratory in Singapore, then the next future works and collaborations, especially in the southeast Asian region will be strengthened and enlightened.

In 2012 the diffraction community will celebrate 100 years since the prediction of X-ray diffraction by M. Laue, and following his suggestion the first beautiful diffraction experiment by W. Friedrich and P. Knipping. The significance of techniques based on the analysis of the diffraction of X-rays, neutrons, electrons and Mossbauer photons discovered later, has continued to increase in the past 100 years. The aim of this symposium is to provide a forum for discussion of using state-of-the-art neutron and X-ray scattering techniques for probing advanced materials. These techniques have been widely used to characterize materials structures across all length scales, from atomic to nano, meso, and macroscopic scales. With the development of sample environments, in-situ experiments, e.g., at temperatures and applied mechanical load, are becoming routine. The development of ultra-brilliant third-generation synchrotron X-ray sources, together with advances in X-ray optics, has created intense X-ray microbeams, which provide the best opportunities for in-depth understanding of mechanical behavior in a broad spectrum of materials. Important applications include ultra-sensitive elemental detection by X-ray fluorescence/absorption and microdiffraction to identify phase and strain with submicrometer spatial resolution. X-ray microdiffraction is a particularly exciting application compared with alternative probes of crystalline structure, orientation and strain. X-ray microdiffraction is non-destructive with good strain resolution, competitive or superior spatial resolution in thick samples, and with the ability to probe below the sample surface. Advances in neutron sources and instrumentation also bring new opportunities in neutron scattering research. In addition to characterizing the structures, neutrons are also a great tool for elucidating the dynamics of materials. Because neutrons are highly penetrating, neutrons have been used to map stress in engineering systems. Neutrons have also played a vital role in our understanding of the magnetism and magnetic properties. Specialized instruments have been built to gain physical insights of the fundamental mechanisms governing phase transformation and mechanical behaviors of materials. The application of those techniques, in combination with theoretical simulations and numerical modeling, will lead to major breakthroughs in materials science in the foreseeable future that will contribute to the development of materials technology and industrial innovation.

In these proceedings from the symposium of November-December 2004, participants describe their work in x-rays and neutrons as probes of local atomic order and dynamics, in the dynamics and structure of polymers (including a paper on large-scale morphology of dispersed layered silicates), biopolymers and composites, in x-rays and neutrons as probes of electronic and magnetic structure, novel methods and nanomaterials, and x-ray and neutron investigations of microstructure and strain, including a paper on 2D and 3D x-ray structural microscopy using submicron-resolution Laue microdiffraction. Annotation : 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).

During the last few decades, crystallography has become a wide and economically important field of science with many interesting applications in materials research, in different branches of physics, chemistry, geology, pharmacology, biochemistry, electronics, in many technological processes, machinery, heavy industry, etc. Twenty Nobel prizes awarded for achieve ments belonging to this· field only underline its distinction. Crystallo graphy has become a commonly used term, but - like a whale - it is much easier to recognize than to describe because of an extreme diversity of sub jects involved which range from highly sophisticated theories to the develop ment of routine technological processes or testing of materials in produc tion. It is apparent that only some aspects of selected topics could be included on a single occasion. The conference "ADVANCED METHODS IN X-RAY AND NEUTRON STRUCTURE ANALYSIS OF MATERIALS" held in Karlovy Vary (Czechoslovakia) on October 5-9, 1987, was intended to cover the most important crystallographic aspects of ma terials science. The conference was attended by 250 people from 16 countries (Belgium,Bulgaria, China, Czechoslovakia, Finland, France, FRG, GDR, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, USA, USSR and Yugoslavia).

Besides its coverage of the four important aspects of synchrotron sources, materials and material processes, measuring techniques, and applications, this ready reference presents both important method types: diffraction and tomography. Following an introduction, a general section leads on to methods, while further sections are devoted to emerging methods and industrial applications. In this way, the text provides new users of large-scale facilities with easy access to an understanding of both the methods and opportunities offered by different sources and instruments.

Advanced Characterization of Nanostructured Materials — Probing the Structure and Dynamics with Synchrotron X-Rays and Neutrons is a collection of chapters which review the characterization of the structure and internal dynamics of a wide variety of nanostructured materials using various synchrotron X-ray and neutron scattering techniques. It is intended for graduate students and researchers who might be interested in learning about and applying these methods. The authors are well-known practitioners in their fields of research who provide detailed and authoritative accounts of how these techniques have been applied to study systems ranging from thin films and monolayers on solid surfaces and at liquid-air, liquid-liquid and solid-liquid interfaces; nanostructured composite materials; battery materials, and catalytic materials. While there have been a great many books published on nanoscience, there are relatively few that have discussed in one volume detailed synchrotron X-ray and neutron methods for advanced characterization of nanomaterials in thin films, composite materials, catalytic and battery materials and at interfaces. This book should provide an incentive and a reference for researchers in nanomaterials for using these techniques as a powerful way to characterize their samples. It should also help to popularize the use of synchrotron and neutron facilities by the nanoscience community.