Brookhaven National Laboratory facts for kids

Brookhaven National Laboratory is a special laboratory in the United States. You can find it on Long Island, New York. It's a place where scientists and engineers work together to make amazing discoveries.

The lab opened in 1947. It was built on the land where an old US army camp, called Camp Upton, used to be. The lab is located near the town of Brookhaven. Its motto is "Passion for discovery," which means everyone there is excited about finding new things!

The Atomic Energy Commission first owned the lab. Now, the US Department of Energy is in charge. About 3,000 people work at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Many scientists who work or have worked there have even won Nobel Prize awards for their important discoveries!

What is Brookhaven National Laboratory?

Brookhaven National Laboratory is a big science center. It's one of ten national laboratories in the United States. Scientists here study many different things. They work on projects in physics, chemistry, biology, and even computer science. Their goal is to understand how the world works and to solve big problems.

Where is Brookhaven Lab Located?

The lab is on Long Island, which is an island in New York. It's about 60 miles (97 kilometers) east of New York City. The lab covers a large area, about 5,300 acres (21 square kilometers). This is a lot of space for all the different research buildings and equipment.

Who Works at Brookhaven Lab?

Many different kinds of people work at Brookhaven Lab. There are scientists, engineers, technicians, and support staff. They come from all over the world to work together. Their teamwork helps them tackle complex scientific challenges. Some of the scientists have even won the Nobel Prize, which is a very famous award for important discoveries.

What Kind of Research Happens There?

Scientists at Brookhaven National Laboratory do many types of research. They use special tools to study tiny particles, materials, and even living things.

Studying Tiny Particles

One of the most famous tools at the lab is the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. This is a huge machine that speeds up tiny particles and crashes them together. By doing this, scientists can learn about what the universe was like right after the Big Bang. It helps them understand the basic building blocks of everything around us.

Looking at Materials with Light

The lab also has a powerful machine called the National Synchrotron Light Source II. This machine creates very bright light. Scientists use this light to look at materials in incredible detail. They can study new medicines, better batteries, and stronger materials for buildings. It's like having a super-powerful microscope that uses light!

Other Important Research

Besides these big machines, Brookhaven Lab also does research in other areas. They study how to make energy cleaner and safer. They also work on understanding climate change and how to protect the environment. Some scientists even use computers to create models and simulations to predict how things will behave.

Images for kids

• 

  This map shows where Brookhaven National Laboratory is located on Long Island, New York.

• 

  Before the lab was built, this land was Camp Upton, an army camp where soldiers trained during World War I.

• 

  Satoshi Ozaki standing next to a large magnet used in the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider in 1991.

• 

  The outside of the National Synchrotron Light Source II building in 2012, during a public tour.

See also

In Spanish: Laboratorio Nacional de Brookhaven para niños