Public to have rare opportunity to tour Neutron Science Center

LANL Rosenfest will celebrate life of LANSCE founder Louis Rosen and offer tour

Louis Rosen

LOS ALAMOS, New Mexico, May 10, 2011—Members of the public will have an unusual opportunity to tour the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center from 1 to 5 p.m. on Friday, May 20, 2011, as part of Rosenfest, a celebration of LANSCE founder Louis Rosen and the remarkable facility he conceived. In addition, Rosenfest organizers are offering a special tour time-slot for teachers and students beginning at 3:30 p.m. to accommodate school schedules.

LANSCE is Los Alamos National Laboratory's signature science facility. At LANSCE, a stream of protons (hydrogen ions) are accelerated to nearly the speed of light in a linear accelerator. The protons are then used for a variety of applications, from national-security science, to health and materials science, to fundamental research that helps provides a better understanding of physical processes or the workings of the universe.

"LANSCE has always been a cornerstone of scientific research, and it will continue in that capacity in the future as the basis for MaRIE, the Laboratory’s planned next-generation facility that will enable researchers to understand and control the behavior of matter in extreme environments," said Alan Hurd, director of the Lujan Neutron Scattering Center at LANSCE and chair of Rosenfest. "This is a rare opportunity for the public to learn firsthand about the facility’s proud past and promising future."

The deadline for online tour registration for United States citizens is May 18.

Tour attendees can expect to see many facets of the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center, including areas along the linear accelerator beam line, the control room area, and one or more experimental areas. A windshield tour is also being planned for people with limited mobility.

Teachers who would like to arrange for visits should contact Leilani Conradson. Members of the public can sign up for the tour and get additional information about Rosenfest online by visiting http://rosenfest.lanl.gov.

About Los Alamos National Laboratory

Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, and URS for the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration.

Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.

LANL news media contact: James E. Rickman, (505) 665-9203, jamesr@lanl.gov