Brookhaven National Laboratory is a center for scientific research on Long Island, New York. The laboratory conducts research in physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, and energy technology. Its major achievements include the discovery of subatomic particles, such as the J particle—also known as the psi particle— and the omega-minus. The lab was founded in 1947 and is owned by the United States Department of Energy.
Since the early 1970’s, applied research has become increasingly important at the laboratory. This research ranges from the development of new industrial materials to studies of atmospheric pollutants and investigations of processes that underlie addiction and aging.
The National Synchrotron Light Source at the lab produces intense beams of X rays and ultraviolet and infrared light. Scientists use the beams to study the structure of protein crystals and other solid objects. Another Brookhaven facility, the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, accelerates two beams of ions (electrically charged atoms) to tremendous energy. The beams travel in opposite directions around two ring-shaped tubes. The ions collide, and scientists study the tracks of objects that stream away from the collisions. By studying the tracks, the scientists learn about subatomic particles and the forces that control them.
