Facilities
RAL hosts two of the UK's major scientific facilities:
ISIS is a spallation neutron source. The neutrons it produces are mainly used in neutron scattering experiments to study the atomic structure and dynamics of materials. ISIS provides research capabilities for around 1600 scientists from a range of disciplines, and has been operating since 1985. ISIS evolved from the original Nimrod proton synchrotron, whose location is currently used for the synchrotron which generates the neutrons and muons used to study materials in ISIS.
The Central Laser Facility provides access to large scale laser systems for researchers from the United Kingdom and other EU countries. The facility operates high power glass and Ti:Sapphire laser installations(including the Vulcan and Astra lasers) and a number of smaller scale, tuneable lasers. A vigorous development programme ensures that facilities maintain their international competitiveness.
A third major facility is sited next to RAL and mostly owned by the STFC, sharing campus infrastructure:
The Harwell Science and Innovation Campus was controversially chosen over the Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus as the site for the synchrotron light source Diamond, which officially opened in January 2007.
RAL also hosts several minor facilities, including:
- Microelectronics Support Centre (MSC)
- NGS UK national academic computing grid
- GridPP's Tier1 computing centre
- Energy Research Unit
RAL hosts a number of other resources and services in microelectronics, atmospheric sciences, spectroscopy and renewable energy research.
Read more about this topic: Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
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