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NIST@Night: Montgomery County’s Unique National Resource: The NIST Center for Neutron Science
The NIST Center for Neutron Research is a national user facility serving more than 2,000 researchers annually.
Speaker: Ron Jones, Leader, NIST Neutron Condensed Matter Science Group
When Montgomery County was still mostly farmland, it was chosen to host a unique national resource that has been critical to multiple advances in materials, electronics, medical treatments, computing and much, much more. For more than 50 years, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) has used beams of subatomic particles called neutrons to probe the nanoscale properties of materials. As a neutral particle, the neutron is uniquely able to pass through thick materials and so it allows researchers to see structures and molecules that visible light, X-ray, proton, and electron beams cannot reveal. As one of just two locations in the entire United States with a similar facility, Montgomery County is home to cutting edge science that ranges from probing the atomic structure of new materials to testing the models that describe the universe. Learn about how the NCNR works, the types of research it makes possible, and what the future holds for this rare facility in the heart of Montgomery County.
Throughout the year, NIST will host lectures, tours, and special programs on our campus and partner with local organizations across the region. We encourage you to stay connected as we celebrate 125 years of service to the American public by visiting the dedicated NIST 125th anniversary webpage
Security Instructions
Visitor Access Requirement:
- For US Permanent Residents: Please have your valid/non-expired green card for photo identification.*
- For US Citizens: Please have your valid/non-expired state-issued driver's license. NIST will only accept a REAL ID-compliant form of identification. Visitors with state-issued identification must now present a REAL ID or a different form of government-issued photo identification, such as: a valid/non-expired passport, passport card, DOD's Common Access Card (CAC), Veterans ID, Federal Agency HSPD-12 IDs, and Military Dependents ID.*
*Use of apps, physical photocopies, and/or digital screenshots of your ID, Passport or Green card will not be accepted.
Failure to show proper valid and compliant/non-expired photo identification upon check-in will result in denied entry into the facility.
For more information please visit our Campus Access and Security page.