Spallation Neutron Source

The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) is a US accelerator-based neutron source facility that produces the world's most powerful pulsed neutron beams for scientific and industrial research. Hundreds of researchers from universities, national laboratories, and businesses visit this facility each year to undertake neutron-based fundamental and applied research and technology development. SNS is operated by UT-Battelle for the US Department of Energy and is part of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (DOE). SNS is a DOE Office of Science user resource that welcomes scientists and researchers from across the globe.

Scientists can count scattered neutrons, estimate their energy and scattering angles, and map their ultimate locations using neutron scattering. The molecular and magnetic structure and behavior of materials such as high-temperature superconductors, polymers, metals, and biological samples may be revealed using this information. Neutron scattering research has applications in structural biology and biotechnology, magnetic and superconductivity, chemical and engineering materials, nanotechnology, complicated fluids, and others, in addition to fundamental physics investigations. This $1.4 billion source performs neutron dissipation, which aids researchers in understanding the subatomic design and behavior of metals.

Cost: $1.4 billion