Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

The lab's Molecular Foundry
Motto	Bringing science solutions to the world
Established	August 26, 1931; 93 years ago (1931-08-26)
Research type	Scientific research and energy technologies
Budget	US$1.1 billion (2019)
Director	Michael Witherell
Staff	3,816
Students	800
Location	Berkeley, California, United States 37°52′34″N 122°14′49″W / 37.876°N 122.247°W / 37.876; -122.247
Campus	200 acres (81 ha)
Operating agency	University of California
Nobel laureates	13

The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), often called Berkeley Lab, is a special science lab in the United States. It does important scientific research for the Department of Energy. You can find it in the hills of Berkeley, California. From the lab, you can see the main campus of the University of California, Berkeley.

History of Berkeley Lab

Starting the Lab (1931–1941)

The lab began on August 26, 1931. It was started by Ernest Lawrence and was first called the Radiation Laboratory. It was part of the Physics Department at the University of California, Berkeley.

The main focus of the lab was Lawrence's new invention, the cyclotron. This machine was a type of particle accelerator. It helped scientists study tiny particles. Lawrence even won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1939 for his work on the cyclotron.

Throughout the 1930s, Lawrence wanted to build bigger and bigger machines for physics research. He got money from rich people who wanted to support science. He was one of the first to create a large team to work on big science projects. These projects aimed to make new discoveries in basic science.

By 1940, the machines became too large for the university campus. So, the lab moved to its current spot on the hill above the campus. Some young scientists who worked with Lawrence later started their own big labs. These included J. Robert Oppenheimer, who founded Los Alamos Laboratory, and Robert Wilson, who founded Fermilab.

During and After World War II (1942–1950)

In late 1942, Leslie Groves visited Lawrence's lab. He was organizing the Manhattan Project, a secret effort to develop new energy technologies during World War II. There, he met J. Robert Oppenheimer for the first time. Oppenheimer was put in charge of developing nuclear technology and started Los Alamos National Laboratory to keep the work secret.

At the Radiation Laboratory, Lawrence and his team found a way to separate different types of uranium. They used their experience with cyclotrons to do this. Their machines, called calutrons, were used in a huge facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Lawrence's lab helped create important technologies during the war.

After the war, the cyclotron that was put on hold was finally finished in November 1946. The Manhattan Project ended two months later.

Changes and Discoveries (1951–2018)

After the war, the Radiation Laboratory became one of the first labs to join the United States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). This group later became the Department of Energy (DOE). The most secret work stayed at Los Alamos, but Berkeley Lab was still involved.

In 1952, a new lab was created from the Radiation Laboratory. This new lab is now called the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Some of the secret research from Berkeley Lab moved there. However, some classified research continued at Berkeley Lab until the 1970s. After that, Berkeley Lab focused only on open scientific research.

In 1958, after Ernest Lawrence passed away, both parts of the Radiation Laboratory were renamed the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory. The Berkeley location became the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory in 1971. Many people still called it the RadLab or LBL. In 1995, "National" was added to the names of all DOE labs, so it became the Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Later, "Ernest Orlando" was removed to make the name shorter. Today, it is usually called Berkeley Lab.

The Alvarez Physics Memos are a collection of informal papers. They were written by a large group of scientists and engineers led by Luis W. Alvarez from the 1950s until 1988. More than 1700 of these memos are available online through the lab.

As of 2018, the U.S. Department of Energy still owns the lab. The University of California manages it. Companies like Intel have also helped fund the lab's research into computer chips.

Laboratory directors

• (1931–1958): Ernest Lawrence
• (1958–1972): Edwin McMillan
• (1973–1980): Andrew Sessler
• (1980–1989): David Shirley
• (1989–2004): Charles V. Shank
• (2004–2008): Steven Chu
• (2009–2016): Paul Alivisatos
• (2016–present): Michael Witherell

What Berkeley Lab Does (Science Mission)

Since the 1950s, Berkeley Lab has been a major international center for physics research. It has also expanded its research into almost every area of science.

The lab's main goals are:

• Solving the biggest and most difficult science problems facing humanity.
• Doing basic research to create a secure energy future.
• Understanding living systems to improve the environment, health, and energy supply.
• Learning about matter and energy in the universe.
• Building and safely running important science facilities for the nation.
• Training the next generation of scientists and engineers.

The lab has 20 science divisions, which are grouped into six main research areas:

• Computing Sciences
• Physical Sciences
• Earth and Environmental Sciences
• Biosciences
• Energy Sciences
• Energy Technologies

Berkeley Lab has six main science focuses:

• Improving basic energy science.
• Studying biological and environmental systems.
• Using advanced computing for science.
• Discovering the basic properties of matter and energy.
• Developing accelerators for the future.
• Creating new energy technologies for a sustainable future.

Ernest Lawrence believed that science research works best when teams of people with different skills work together. This idea of teamwork is a strong tradition at Berkeley Lab today.

Berkeley Lab runs five major National User Facilities for the DOE Office of Science. These are places where scientists from all over the world can come to use special equipment for their research:

• The Advanced Light Source (ALS) is a powerful light source. It uses a machine called a synchrotron to create bright ultraviolet and X-ray light. This light helps scientists study the structure of materials. About 2,500 scientists use the ALS every year. Berkeley Lab plans to upgrade the ALS to make it even more powerful.
• The Joint Genome Institute (JGI) supports research on genes and DNA. This helps the DOE with its goals in alternative energy, understanding global carbon cycles, and managing the environment. JGI works with other national labs. It helps develop ways to link genetic information to biological discoveries important for energy and environmental research. Around 1,200 scientists use JGI's tools each year.
• The Molecular Foundry is a research center for nanoscience. Nanoscience is the study of extremely tiny things. It has seven research areas that focus on imaging, building, and understanding nanostructures. About 700 scientists use these facilities every year.
• The National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) provides powerful computers for the DOE's research programs. Its systems offer billions of computing hours each year. NERSC supports 6,000 scientists from universities, national labs, and companies.
• The Energy Sciences Network (ESnet) is a very fast internet network. It is designed for moving huge amounts of scientific data. ESnet connects all major DOE sites and facilities. It moves about 35 petabytes of data every month.

Berkeley Lab is also a main partner in the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI). This institute is located in Emeryville, California. JBEI's main goal is to develop the next generation of biofuels. These are liquid fuels made from plants. JBEI is one of three new Bioenergy Research Centers in the U.S.

The lab also plays a big role in two DOE Energy Innovation Hubs:

• The Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis (JCAP) aims to find a cheap way to make fuels using only sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide. Berkeley Lab is a key partner in this center.
• The Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR) works to create new battery technologies. These batteries could change how we power transportation and electricity grids. Berkeley Lab is a major partner in JCESR.

How the Lab is Run (Operations and Governance)

The University of California runs the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. It does this under a contract with the Department of Energy. The lab has 76 buildings, which are owned by the U.S. Department of Energy. These buildings are on 200 acres of land owned by the university in the Berkeley Hills.

The lab has about 4,000 University of California employees. Around 800 of these are students or postdocs (researchers who recently finished their degrees). Each year, more than 3,000 visiting scientists come to work at the lab. About two dozen DOE employees are also at the lab to oversee its work.

The lab's director, Michael Witherell, is chosen by the university regents. He reports to the university president. Even though Berkeley Lab is run separately from the Berkeley campus, they are closely connected. More than 200 Berkeley Lab researchers also teach as faculty at UC Berkeley.

In 2019, the lab's budget was $1.1 billion.

Amazing Discoveries and Inventions

Since World War II, Berkeley Lab has made many important scientific achievements. These include observing the antiproton (a particle like a proton but with an opposite charge). They also discovered several transuranic elements (elements heavier than uranium). Another big discovery was that the universe is expanding at an ever-faster rate, which is called the accelerating universe.

Thirteen researchers linked to Berkeley Lab have won a Nobel Prize in Physics or the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. These include Ernest Lawrence, Glenn T. Seaborg, Edwin M. McMillan, Owen Chamberlain, Emilio G. Segrè, Donald A. Glaser, Melvin Calvin, Luis W. Alvarez, Yuan T. Lee, Steven Chu, George F. Smoot, Saul Perlmutter, and Jennifer Doudna.

Also, twenty-three Berkeley Lab employees were part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. They shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former Vice President Al Gore.

Seventy Berkeley Lab scientists are members of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. This is one of the highest honors for a scientist in the United States. Thirteen Berkeley Lab scientists have won the National Medal of Science, the nation's top award for lifetime achievements in science. Many engineers and scientists from the lab have also been elected to other important national academies.

Berkeley Lab physicists have discovered many elements. These include astatine, neptunium, plutonium, curium, americium, berkelium*, californium*, einsteinium, fermium, mendelevium, nobelium, lawrencium*, dubnium, and seaborgium*. The elements with an asterisk (*) are named after University Professors Lawrence and Seaborg. Seaborg was a main scientist involved in their discovery. The element technetium was discovered after Ernest Lawrence gave Emilio Segrè a piece of molybdenum from the Berkeley Lab cyclotron.

Inventions and discoveries from Berkeley Lab include:

• "Smart" windows that can change how much sunlight they let in.
• Synthetic genes for new medicines, based on breakthroughs in synthetic biology.
• Electronic parts that make lighting more efficient.
• Home Energy Saver, the first online tool to help people check their home's energy use.
• A small DNA sampler called the PhyloChip.
• The Berkeley Darfur Stove, which uses much less firewood than traditional cook stoves.

One of Berkeley Lab's most famous discoveries is dark energy. In the 1980s and 1990s, scientists at Berkeley Lab formed the Supernova Cosmology Project (SCP). They used special exploding stars called Type Ia supernovae to measure how fast the universe was expanding. Their successful methods led to competition. In early 1998, both the SCP and another team announced the surprising discovery that the universe's expansion is speeding up. This mysterious force was soon named dark energy.

Arthur Rosenfeld, a senior scientist at Berkeley Lab, was a leading expert on energy efficiency from 1975 until he passed away in 2017. He led efforts at the lab that created technologies to greatly improve efficiency. These included compact fluorescent lamps, low-energy refrigerators, and windows that trap heat. He started the Center for Building Science at the lab. He also developed the first energy-efficiency standards for buildings and appliances in California. This helped California keep its electricity use per person constant, a phenomenon called the Rosenfeld effect. The Energy Efficiency and Environmental Impacts Division at the lab continues to research and set national energy efficiency standards. They also work with countries like China and India to help them develop their own standards.

Carl Haber and Vitaliy Fadeyev from Berkeley Lab created the IRENE system. This system uses light to scan and play old audio discs and cylinders.

In December 2018, researchers at Intel Corp. and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory published a paper in Nature. They described a new computer chip made with "quantum materials" instead of regular silicon. This new chip could allow for faster processing and use less energy, which is important for new technologies like artificial intelligence.

Images for kids

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  The Advanced Light Source and surrounding buildings

• 

  The Integrative Genomics Building, home to the Joint Genome Institute

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  The Molecular Foundry

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  University of California Radiation Laboratory staff on the magnet yoke for the 60-inch cyclotron, 1938. Nobel prizewinners Ernest Lawrence, Edwin McMillan, and Luis Alvarez are shown, along with J. Robert Oppenheimer and Robert R. Wilson.

See also

In Spanish: Laboratorio Nacional Lawrence Berkeley para niños