and thermal disorder in crystalline and multi-component materials. The use of atomistic simulations such as molecular dynamics or the reverse Monte Carlo method can help in extracting more reliable and richer structural information. Examples EXAFS is, like XANES, a highly sensitive technique with elemental specificity. As such, EXAFS is an extremely useful way to determine the chemical state of practically important species which occur in very low abundance or concentration. Frequent use of EXAFS occurs in environmental chemistry, where scientists try to understand the propagation of pollutants through an ecosystem. EXAFS can be used along with accelerator mass spectrometry in forensic examinations, particularly in nuclear non-proliferation applications. History A very detailed, balanced and informative account about the history of EXAFS (originally called Kossel's structures) is given by R. Stumm von Bordwehr. A more modern and accurate account of the history of XAFS (EXAFS and XANES) is given by the leader of the group that developed the modern version of EXAFS in an award lecture by Edward A. Stern. See also X-ray absorption spectroscopy X-ray absorption near edge structure Surface-extended X-ray absorption fine structure References Bibliography Books Book chapters Papers F.W. Lytle, "The EXAFS family tree: a personal history of the development of extended X-ray absorption fine structure", A. Kodre, I. Arčon, Proceedings of 36th International Conference on Microelectronics, Devices and Materials, MIDEM, Postojna, Slovenia, October 28-20, (2000), p. 191-196 External links International X-ray Absorption Society FEFF Project, University of Washington, Seattle GNXAS project and XAS laboratory, Università di Camerino EXAFS Spectroscopy Laboratory (Riga, Latvia) Community web site for XAFS X-ray absorption spectroscopy