LANSCE at a glance

For more than five decades, the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center has provided the scientific underpinnings in nuclear physics and material science needed to ensure the safety and surety of the nuclear stockpile. The facility also provides the scientific community with intense sources of neutrons and protons to perform experiments that support civilian research and the production of medical and research isotopes.

Here is an overview of LANSCE’s five state-of-the-art experimental facilities that enable this diversity of work.

The Isotope Production Facility

IPF uses a 100-MeV proton beam extracted from the main LANSCE accelerator to produce isotopes for medical, fundamental nuclear physics, national security, environmental science, and industrial applications. IPF supplies a variety of radioisotopes to medical researchers and other scientists all over the world and is a leader in developing and producing new and unique isotopes for international research and development.

Proton Radiography 

Invented at Los Alamos National Laboratory, proton radiography (pRad) employs a high-energy proton beam to image the properties and behavior of materials driven by high explosives. The efficacy and versatility of proton radiography stems from the ability to produce multiple proton pulses in an accelerator coupled with multiple optical viewing systems that can result in 20–40 frame movies. 

Ultracold Neutrons 

This facility produces high-energy spallation neutrons and uses solid deuterium to cool neutrons by one million billion-fold. The resulting ultracold neutrons have unique properties that allow them to be studied precisely: they move at speeds of only a few meters per second and are completely confined by magnetic fields and material bottles for many hundreds of seconds at a time.

Weapons Neutron Research Facility

Using the high flux of neutrons provided by the LANSCE proton beam and a unique instrument suite, WNR enables basic, applied, industrial, and defense-related research. Science thrust areas include fission processes, neutron capture cross sections, neutron radiography, and semiconductor irradiations. WNR delivers key nuclear data in support of the National Nuclear Security Administration's Defense Programs.

The Lujan Neutron Scattering Center

Named after U.S. Representative Manuel Lujan Jr., this facility provides exceptional research opportunities to scientists in national security, academia, and industry. Here, neutron scattering probes the microstructure and dynamics of condensed matter. Applications for neutron scattering include materials science, engineering, condensed matter physics, chemistry, biology, and geology. The center leverages moderated pulsed neutrons for the National Nuclear Security Administration's Defense Programs. ★