Brookhaven National Laboratory
U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory on Long Island conducting physics, materials, energy and bioscience research and operating large accelerator and light-source facilities.
Overview
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is a U.S. Department of Energy research center on Long Island, New York. Founded on the site of the former Camp Upton and opened in 1947, the laboratory hosts a mix of permanent staff, visiting scientists and students who pursue basic and applied research in physical, chemical, biological and environmental sciences. BNL operates large scale user facilities that serve national and international research communities.
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Notable facilities and capabilities
- Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) — a particle accelerator used to study nuclear matter under extreme conditions and to explore the quark–gluon plasma.
- National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) — a high-brightness synchrotron producing x-rays for materials, chemistry and biological imaging.
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials — a user facility focused on nanoscale synthesis, characterization and theory.
- Alternating Gradient Synchrotron (AGS) — a historic accelerator that continues to support particle and nuclear physics research.
Research areas and impact
Research at Brookhaven spans high-energy and nuclear physics, materials science, energy technologies, environmental science and biology. Work at BNL has contributed to discoveries in fundamental physics, advanced imaging and materials design, and energy-related technologies. Collaborations link the laboratory with universities, industry and other national laboratories; many experiments at Brookhaven are run as user programs that welcome external researchers.
History and organization
The laboratory was established after World War II on land previously used for military training. Originally created under the Atomic Energy Commission model and later transferred to the U.S. Department of Energy, Brookhaven’s management has evolved through partnerships between government, universities and private research organizations. The site’s long history of large-scale instruments has shaped its role as a multidecade host for major scientific facilities.
People, recognition and public access
BNL employs several thousand people and supports additional visiting scientists and students. Researchers associated with the laboratory have been recognized with major awards; several have been awarded Nobel Prizes for work connected to experiments or theory performed at or linked to BNL. The laboratory maintains outreach programs, educational tours and user access policies to enable broader participation in its facilities.
Further information
For site details, facility schedules and user information see the laboratory’s pages on location and governance: Long Island site, Upton location, New York state context, and historical background about its early oversight under the Atomic Energy Commission. Official facility listings and program descriptions are available through those resources.
Location
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| Location of BNL in New York State. |
BNL is located on eastern Long Island, approximately 100 kilometers as the crow flies from downtown New York City. The BNL complex covers a total area of 21.3 square kilometers and is surrounded by the western foothills of the Long Island Central Pine Barrens, a forested area covering approximately 425 square kilometers. Two kilometers south of BNL is Interstate 495 coming from New York City, and another three kilometers south is Brookhaven Airport, operated by Brookhaven County. Seven kilometers east of the Laboratory is Calverton Executive Airpark, which is used exclusively for private purposes. In addition, the Lab is connected to the rail network by the New York and Atlantic Railway, established in 1997. The nearest towns are Patchogue, about 18 kilometres to the southwest, and Riverhead, about 19 kilometres to the east.
Organization
The laboratory is one of ten major laboratories operated by the US government and is overseen and almost fully funded by the United States Department of Energy. In 2017, BNL's budget amounted to approximately 582 million US dollars (approximately 521 million euros). The laboratory is led by a director and two deputy directors, who are responsible for research and the administration of the laboratory, respectively. Acting Director Doon Gibbs was appointed Interim Director in December 2012 and then Laboratory Director in 2013.
The laboratory employs about 3000 permanent staff. Approximately 4500 users visit the Laboratory's large-scale research facilities annually. The Laboratory is divided into a total of eight Directorates, each headed by an Associate Laboratory Director (ALD). The directorates are subdivided into departments (Departments or Divisions for larger and smaller organizational units, respectively); the department heads report to the respective ALD. In the research departments, the lowest organizational level consists of research groups, usually with a senior scientist as group leader. Another element of the organization is staff positions that report directly to the Laboratory Director. These include the Planning Office, the Legal Office, Internal Audit and Counterintelligence.
| Directorates of the BNL | ||
| Directorate | ALD | Departments/Divisions/Offices |
| Computational Science Initiative | Kerstin Kleese van Dam | Computer Science and Mathematics, Computing for National Security, Scientific Data and Computing Center, Center for Data-Driven Discovery, Computational Science Laboratory |
| Nuclear and Particle Physics | Berndt Mueller | Colliders & Accelerators (incl. NASA Space Radiation Laboratory), Physics, Instrumentation, Superconducting Magnets |
| Energy and Photon Sciences | James Misewich | Chemistry, Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Sciences, Sustainable Energy Technologies |
| Environment, Biology, Nuclear Science & Nonproliferation | Martin Schoonen | Biology, Environmental and Climate Sciences, Nonproliferation and National Security |
| business services | George Clark | Budget, Fiscal Services, Procurement and Property Management, Information Technology |
| Facilities & Operations | Tom Daniels | Laboratory Protection, Modernization Project, Production, Energy and Utilities |
| Environment, Safety & Health | Steven Coleman | Environmental Protection, Radiological Control, Safety and Health Services |
| human resources | Robert Lincoln | Guest, User and Visitor Center, Diversity and International Services, Benefits, Labor Relations, Talent Management, Compensation and HRIS, Occupational Medicine |
Questions and answers
Q: What is Brookhaven National Laboratory?
A: Brookhaven National Laboratory is a laboratory in the United States located at Long Island, New York.
Q: Where exactly is Brookhaven National Laboratory located?
A: Brookhaven National Laboratory is located at Long Island, New York, in the greater area of the town of Brookhaven.
Q: What was the location of Brookhaven National Laboratory before it was established?
A: Brookhaven National Laboratory was established on the former location of Camp Upton, a US army camp.
Q: When was Brookhaven National Laboratory opened?
A: Brookhaven National Laboratory was opened in 1947.
Q: Who originally owned Brookhaven National Laboratory?
A: Brookhaven National Laboratory was originally owned by the Atomic Energy Commission.
Q: Who currently owns Brookhaven National Laboratory?
A: Brookhaven National Laboratory is currently owned by the US Department of Energy.
Q: How many people work at Brookhaven National Laboratory and what notable achievement has been made by some of them?
A: About 3000 people work at Brookhaven National Laboratory and several people working there have won Nobel Prize awards.
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Author
AlegsaOnline.com Brookhaven National Laboratory Leandro Alegsa
URL: https://en.alegsaonline.com/art/14700