Neutrons at NIST: Past, Present, and Future

The 1950's were a decade of rapid progress in nuclear technology, with many organizations building research reactors. Among these was the National Bureau of Standards which decided to build a research reactor at its new Gaithersburg campus. The facility, completed in 1967, is now the centerpiece of the NIST Center for Neutron Research which has become one of the leading neutron facilities in the world. This national user facility now provides measurement capabilities to more than 2,000 scientists and engineers from industry, academia, and government annually. In this NIST History Lecture, we will learn about the technical and scientific reasons for the emergence of the NCNR as a key national resource and how being part of NIST has shaped the scientific and technical programs at the NCNR. Finally, the recent expansion of the NCNR will be described – with emphasis on the new measurement capabilities that this will provide. 

Anyone outside NIST wishing to attend must be sponsored by a NIST employee and receive a visitor badge. For more information, contact Stephanie Shaw at 301-975-2667. Colloquia are videotaped and available in the NIST Research Library.