Los Alamos National Laboratory

For the World War II-era laboratory in Los Alamos, see Los Alamos Laboratory.

Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • LANL
Aerial view
Established1943 (1943)
Budget$3.92 billion[1]
Field of research
DirectorThomas Mason
Staff14,150[2]
Students1800[2]
LocationLos Alamos, New Mexico, United States
35°52′32″N 106°19′27″W / 35.87556°N 106.32417°W / 35.87556; -106.32417
Affiliations
Operating agency
Triad National Security LLC
Websitehttps://www.lanl.gov/
Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory is located in New Mexico
Los Alamos National Laboratory
LocationCentral Ave., Los Alamos, New Mexico
Coordinates35°52′54″N 106°17′54″W / 35.88167°N 106.29833°W / 35.88167; -106.29833
Area22,200 acres (9,000 ha)[4]
Built1943 (1943)
Architectural styleBungalow/Craftsman, Modern Movement, Ranch
NRHP reference No.66000893[3]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPOctober 15, 1966
Designated NHLDDecember 21, 1965[5]

Los Alamos National Laboratory (often shortened as Los Alamos and LANL) is one of the sixteen research and development laboratories of the United States Department of Energy (DOE), located a short distance northwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico, in the American southwest. Best known for its central role in helping develop the first atomic bomb, LANL is one of the world's largest and most advanced scientific institutions.[6]

Los Alamos was established in 1943 as Project Y, a top-secret site for designing nuclear weapons under the Manhattan Project during World War II.[note 1] Chosen for its remote yet relatively accessible location, it served as the main hub for conducting and coordinating nuclear research,[7] bringing together some of the world's most famous scientists, among them numerous Nobel Prize winners.[8][9] The town of Los Alamos, directly north of the lab, grew extensively through this period.

After the war ended in 1945, Project Y's existence was made public, and it became known universally as Los Alamos. In 1952, the Atomic Energy Commission formed a second design lab under the direction of the University of California, Berkeley, which became the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL).[10] The two labs competed on a wide variety of bomb designs, but with the end of the Cold War, have focused increasingly on civilian missions. Today, Los Alamos conducts multidisciplinary research in fields such as national security, space exploration, nuclear fusion, renewable energy,[11] medicine, nanotechnology, and supercomputing.

While owned by the federal government, LANL is privately managed and operated by Triad National Security, LLC.[8][12]

  1. ^ "Facts, Figures". Retrieved September 16, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference About the Lab was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  4. ^ "LANL Location and Infrastructure". Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  5. ^ "National Historic Landmarks Survey, New Mexico" (PDF). National Park Service. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  6. ^ "Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) | UCOP". ucop.edu. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  7. ^ "50th Anniversary Article: Oppenheimer's Better Idea: Ranch School Becomes Arsenal of Democracy". Los Alamos National Laboratory. Archived from the original on 20 April 2011.
  8. ^ a b Energy, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, for the U. S. Department of. "Our History". lanl.gov. Retrieved August 2, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ "Los Alamos, NM". Atomic Heritage Foundation. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  10. ^ "History". Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. October 9, 2013. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  11. ^ "The Drive Toward Hydrogen Vehicles Just Got Shorter". Chem.info. March 21, 2011. Archived from the original on March 21, 2012. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
  12. ^ Energy, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, for the U. S. Department of. "Leadership, Governance". lanl.gov. Retrieved August 2, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)


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