LANSCE User Information

LANSCE provides its users with resources critical to their experiments and their experience.

Those interested in obtaining beam time for experiments at one of the LANSCE neutron sources should follow the proposal process.

Calls for proposals to all potential users are made yearly. The proposal consists of information about the research team, amount of beam time requested and a description of the proposed experiment. Urgent post-proposal-call beam requests may be addressed through a "Fast Access" proposal process if necessary.

Please contact the LANSCE User Office for more information and help with your proposal. If you are a first time facility user, we encourage you to contact a flight path scientist to discuss your planned work to help ensure that the most appropriate flight path is chosen. A list of flight path scientists is given under contacts.

Every activity on any flight path requires a proposal. Proposals for the various flight paths are submitted using a web interface. All proposals are reviewed for scientific merit by the Program Advisory Committee (PAC). In the case of proprietary proposals, such as the case for Industry, users pay for beam time and a scientific merit review is not conducted.

The PAC is divided into three subcommittees: Basic Science, Nuclear Technology and Defense-related research. The goal of these committees is to select those experiments that are thought to be the most important in a particular field, will have the greatest impact in the particular area of research and have the greatest chance for success.

The PAC rates the proposals and provides these ratings as input to the scheduling process. Users may present their proposal in person or by phone before the committee. They may also answer questions.

If a proposal is rated highly, it will be scheduled for beam time.

Before the experiment is conducted, it must undergo a Safety and Technical review. If the experiment is "routine" in the sense that it is very similar to experiments that have been done before and does not have any significant safety or compliance issues, it will be approved for beam time. If there are safety, compliance, security or other concerns, the experiment will be reviewed in more depth by a committee of subject matter experts. The result of the safety review may be additional requirements, procedures, and documentation.

If you have any questions, please contact the LANSCE User Office.

Prospective Users - US Citizens

Before You Arrive

• After submitting a proposal and having your beam time approved, the LANSCE User Program Administrator will contact you by email with instructions for scheduling your visit. Visit registration is done on our Proposal Submission page. We ask the Principal Investigator to make sure that all the members of their team are registered.
• If necessary, arrange with the LANSCE User Program Administrator to have your equipment shipped to and from LANSCE.
• To use the LANSCE facilities, you will need training. The LANSCE User Program administrator will schedule appropriate training and send an email with logistics two weeks prior to your visit.
• Please read our educational and training materials available online.
• Discuss your experiment with the Flight Path Scientist with whom you plan to work.
• If you need training, plan to arrive here at least 1 day before your experiment is scheduled to begin.
• All non-government users need to have a User Facility Agreement in place. The LANSCE Program Administrator will help you arrange for this agreement.

When you Arrive

• US citizens may go directly to the LANSCE site (TA-53). The guard should have your name and you will need to show a Real ID or Passport. After you pass though the guard station, follow signs to the LANSCE Visitor Center (MPF-1). TA-53 Building 1 (Access Control) is where you will receive your training, your identification badge, and your radiation dosimeters. Completing training typically takes from 1 –3 hours.
• If you are bringing a personal laptop or other Portable Electronic Device (PED) other than a cellphone, you will need to fill out paperwork at the Visitor Center to register it and receive a password to access the Visitor Network.
• When you have completed your training, the Visitor Office will contact the flight path scientist to arrange your access to the experimental area.

When you Leave

• Please check with the LANSCE User Program Administrator to arrange for the return of your equipment if necessary. In some cases, your sample or equipment may become activated and will have to remain at LANSCE until it is no longer radioactive and can be shipped back to you in accordance with DOT requirements.
• All badges must be returned either to the LANSCE Program Administrator at TA-53, Building 31, Room 252 or to the Building 1 LANSCE (Access Control).
• Please be sure to inform your Flight Path Scientist of any publications or reports you create that include your research at LANSCE. The DOE and LANSCE management use the total number of LANSCE user-publications to justify future funding for our facility.

Prospective Users - Non US Citizens

Although we encourage the use of LANSCE by non-US citizens, a DOE approval process must be followed.

Before You Arrive

• After submitting a proposal and having your beam time approved, the LANSCE User Program Administrator will contact you by email with instructions for scheduling your visit. To ensure sufficient time to receive DOE approval, inform the LANSCE User Program Administrator that you are a non-US citizen at least 3 months before your planned arrival. Visit registration is done on our Proposal Submission website. We ask the Principal Investigator to make sure that all the members of their team are registered.
• If necessary arrange with the LANSCE User Program Administrator to have your equipment shipped to and from LANSCE.
• You will need training before you can do experiments at WNR. Schedule your training with the LANSCE Program Administrator.
• Please read our educational and training materials available online.
• Discuss your experiment with the Flight Path Scientist you plan to work with.
• If you need training, plan to arrive here at least 1 day before your experiment is scheduled to begin.
• All non-government users need to have a User Facility Agreement in place. The LANSCE Program Administrator will help you arrange for this agreement.

When you Arrive

• You must bring your current visa, passport, and any other documents necessary.
• First, go to the Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Badge Office at TA-3 to obtain your identification badge (see Technical Area 3 map (pdf)).
• You must have this identification badge with you at all times.
• After receiving your identification badge, go to the LANSCE Visitor Center at the LANSCE site (TA-53, see Technical Areas map (pdf)). The LANSCE Access Control is where you will receive your training (if needed), your LANSCE identification badge, and your dosimeters. Training typically takes 1 –3 hours.
• If you are bringing a personal laptop or other Portable Electronic Device (PED) other than a cellphone you will need to fill out paperwork at the Visitor Center to register it and receive a password to access the Visitor Network.
• When you have completed your training, the Visitor Office will contact the flight path scientist to arrange your access to the experimental area.

When you Leave

• Please check with the WNR User Program Administrator to arrange for the return of your equipment if necessary. In some cases, your sample or equipment may become activated and will have to remain at LANSCE until it is no longer radioactive.
• All badges must be returned either to the WNR Program Administrator at TA-53, Building 31, Room 252 or to the Building 1 LANSCE (Access Control).
• Please be sure to inform your Flight Path Scientist of any publications or reports you create that include your research at LANSCE. The DOE and LANSCE management use the total number of LANSCE user-publications to justify future funding for our facility.

Industrial Users

The facility has been used for more than a decade by a virtual Who’s Who of the semiconductor industry to simulate the potential failures posed by cosmic-ray-induced neutrons upon miniature electronic devices, such as chips that help control aircraft or complex integrated circuits in automobiles.

Industrial User Information

The WNR Facility welcomes proposals for beam time experiments from industry users. Proprietary and non-proprietary industrial projects are accepted for beam time.

Two of the Target 4 flight paths (4FP30L-A/ICE-I and 4FP30R/ICE-II) are used extensively for industry testing and research. These 2 flight paths provide a neutron spectrum very similar to that of neutrons produced in the atmosphere by cosmic rays but with a neutron flux a million times higher, depending on altitude. This large flux allows testing of semiconductor devices at greatly accelerated rates. Industry users are invited to contact Steve Wender or the LANSCE User Program Coordinator, to obtain further information on instruments, personnel, cost model and Proprietary User Agreements.

Industry researchers conducting non-proprietary research leading to publishable results in the open literature, can request beam time like any other user. Proposals will be reviewed by the Program Advisory Committee (PAC) and accepted proposals will be offered beam time.

Proprietary proposals must be submitted online but do not require review by the PAC. Use of a facility at LANSCE by a Proprietary User requires the user to pay full-cost recovery. Proprietary Users keep their results private.

Beam Schedule

Accelerator Schedules

• 2026 Operating Schedule (pdf)
• 2026-2030 Long Range Operating Schedule (pdf)

Accelerator Status

• Accelerator and Experimental-Area Status (login required)

We will notify you of your experiment schedule at least 3–6 weeks before your start date.

• Two (2) weeks after the review, the Instrument Scientist will schedule beam-time in consultation with the user.
• Three (3) weeks after the review, we send schedule letters to the Principal Investigator.

After you schedule experiments, the LANSCE User Office will contact you to:

• Schedule required training and help with travel arrangements
• Start any required foreign national access approvals
• And help with other needs you may have

You must follow LANL safety and badging rules while on site. We will provide the appropriate safety training.