The 57 papers update the status of characterization techniques that use synchrotron radiation since the previous symposium on the subject in the spring of 1996. The techniques considered include X-ray absorption and scattering, imaging, tomography, microscopy, and topographic methods. Among the materials are surfaces, interfaces, electronic materials, metal oxides, solar cells, thin films, carbides, polymers, alloys, nanoparticles, and graphitic materials. Some of the papers are doubled spaced. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

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