Daresbury Laboratory
![]() Aerial view of Daresbury Laboratory | |
Established | 1962 |
---|---|
Laboratory type | National scientific research laboratory |
Field of research | |
Director | Paul Vernon |
Staff | 300[1] |
Location | Daresbury, England 53°20′35″N 2°38′26″W / 53.34306°N 2.64056°W |
Operating agency | Science and Technology Facilities Council |
Website | stfc |
Map | |
Daresbury Laboratory is a scientific research laboratory based at Sci-Tech Daresbury campus near Daresbury in Halton, Cheshire, England. The laboratory began operations in 1962 and was officially opened on 16 June 1967 as the Daresbury Nuclear Physics Laboratory by the then Prime Minister of United Kingdom, Harold Wilson. It was the second national laboratory established by the British National Institute for Research in Nuclear Science, following the Rutherford High Energy Laboratory (now Rutherford Appleton Laboratory).[2] It is operated by the Science and Technology Facilities Council, part of UK Research and Innovation. As of 2018, it employs around 300 staff,[1] with Paul Vernon appointed as director in November 2020,[3] taking over from Professor Susan Smith who had been director from 2012.
Description
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Daresbury_Laboratory_tower.jpg/220px-Daresbury_Laboratory_tower.jpg)
Daresbury Laboratory carries out research in fields such as accelerator science, bio-medicine, physics, chemistry, materials, engineering and computational science. Its facilities are used by scientists and engineers, from both the university research community and industrial research base. The laboratory is based at Sci-Tech Daresbury.[1]
Facilities and research
- Accelerator science, including the Cockcroft Institute which houses scientists from STFC, University of Manchester, University of Liverpool, University of Lancaster, and University of Strathclyde. Accelerator science facilities include:
- VELA, an electron compact linear accelerator, based around an RF photocathode gun.[4]
- CLARA, an electron linear accelerator to be used for research in free-electron lasers.[5]
- SuperSTEM, a national research facility for advanced electron microscopy. The facility belongs to EPSRC.[6]
- The Hartree Centre, a high performance computing, data analytics and AI research facility.[7]
- Scientific computing
- Nuclear physics
- Detector systems
- Engineering Technology Centre[8]
- Public engagement
- The University of Liverpool Virtual Engineering Centre[9]
Retired facilities
- NINA
- ALICE, an electron accelerator previously known as ERLP (Energy Recovery Linac Prototype).[10]
- EMMA, a linear non-scaling FFAG accelerator.
- HPCx, a supercomputer (replaced by the UK national supercomputing service, HECToR, based in Edinburgh).[11]
- Synchrotron Radiation Source
Awards
In 2009 the laboratory was awarded the title of the "Most Outstanding Science Park" at the UK Science Parks Association.[12]
See also
- Alec Merrison Daresbury Laboratory's first director
- Cockcroft Institute International centre for accelerator science and technology at Sci-Tech Daresbury
- Van de Graaff generator The former Nuclear Structure Facility at Daresbury was based on a Van de Graaff accelerator
- Arthur Dooley The Laboratory has a piece 'Splitting of the Atom', unveiled in 1971, constructed from magnetic steel and two 37 inch pole tips taken from the cyclotron.[13]
References
- ^ a b c "Daresbury Laboratory - Science and Technology Facilities Council". Retrieved 5 July 2020.
- ^ British electron synchrotron, Physics Today 17, 9, 65 (1964); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3051849
- ^ "New Head of Daresbury Laboratory appointed". www.ukri.org. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
- ^ 'The Versatile Electron Linear Accelerator (VELA)' at astec.stfc.ac.uk Accessed 29 January 2017
- ^ CLARA Compact Linear Accelerator for Research and Applications Accessed 29 January 2017
- ^ Official website of SuperSTEM Accessed 29 January 2017
- ^ "£30m grant announced by George Osborne at Daresbury Science Park". Retrieved 1 February 2013.
- ^ "Technology at Daresbury". Retrieved 31 January 2019.
- ^ "Virtual Engineering Centre | Locations". Retrieved 31 January 2019.
- ^ ALICE (Accelerators and Lasers In Combined Experiments) at astec.ac.uk via Wayback Accessed 29 January 2017
- ^ HPCx - UK National Supercomputing Service 2002 - 2010 Accessed 29 January 2017
- ^ Clay, Oliver (24 September 2009). "Science park hailed as a UK trendsetter". Runcorn Weekly News. Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales. p. 3.
- ^ "Public Monument and Sculpture Association Record". Archived from the original on 12 August 2010. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Daresbury Laboratory at Sci-Tech Daresbury
- The Science and Technology Facilities Council
- Synchrotron Radiation Source
- Accelerator Science and Technology Centre
- 4GLS - the proposed Fourth Generation Light Source