DOE/LANL Jurisdiction Fire Danger Rating:
  1. LANL Home
  2. media
  3. publications
  4. national security science
December 9, 2024

Accelerating solutions

Isotopes produced at Los Alamos National Laboratory are saving lives, advancing cutting-edge research, and keeping the United States safe.

  • Whitney Spivey, Editor
Web Full Isotope Facility
Inside a shielded chamber, robotic arms are used to handle radioactive medical isotopes. Credit to: Los Alamos National Laboratory

What’s the difference between sodium-22 and sodium-23?

One is edible (sodium-23) and the other is radioactive. Such differences are the superpowers of isotopes—variants of an element that have the same number of protons but differ in the number of neutrons. Chemical properties of isotopes of the same element are generally similar, but their physical properties can vary.

Some isotopes, such as sodium-23, occur naturally, but others are created using nuclear reactors or accelerators. In an accelerator, particles (such as protons) are accelerated to high speeds and used to bombard a target, which causes a nuclear reaction that produces isotopes. Scientists can tailor the type of particles and the type of target to create specific isotopes.

Web Left Inside the Isotope Production Facility   Original File
Isotope production at LANSCE.

One such accelerator, located at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) at Los Alamos National Laboratory, is used to produce isotopes for a range of scientific, medical, and industrial applications.

At LANSCE’s Isotope Production Facility, scientists make isotopes to order for the Department of Energy (DOE) Isotope Program, which coordinates with hospitals and companies around the country to determine what to produce and when. DOE’s national laboratories work together under the Isotope Program’s direction to ensure a steady supply of critical isotopes. These isotopes are used for medical, national security, environmental, and industrial applications. ★

 

Los Alamos–produced isotopes (some of many):

  • Americium-241: used in smoke detectors and for oil and gas exploration
  • Arsenic-73: used for environmental research
  • Cadmium-109: used to calibrate instruments that monitor air quality
  • Sodium-22: used as a source for positron emission tomography
  • Additional isotopes are produced on demand

Share

Stay up to date
Get the latest content from National Security Science delivered straight to your inbox.
Subscribe Now

More National Security Science Stories

National Security Science Home
Nevada Cover Horizontal

The Nevada issue

The work performed by Los Alamos National Laboratory at the Nevada National Security Sites helps maintain the credibility of the U.S. nuclear deterrent and reinforces a commitment to global security.

Nnss Landscape

Nevada at a glance

A brief overview of the Nevada National Security Sites (NNSS).

Npo Emblem

The Nevada Programs Office

The Los Alamos office helps streamline Lab work at the Nevada National Security Sites.

Abstracts a Hidden Hub of Innovation

A hidden hub of innovation

Los Alamos Operations develops technology for the nuclear security enterprise.

Abstracts Drilledcore

Desert shake up

Scientists study shallow earthquakes to understand how they differ from underground explosions.

Abstracts Testing at Tonopah

Testing at Tonopah

Mock assemblies of nuclear weapons are put to the test just 160 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

Follow us

Keep up with the latest news from the Lab