SNS and HRIBF Tours

The deadline for signing up for the SNS/HRIBF tours is July 10, 2006

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is home to several world-class research facilities. Tours of the The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) and the Holifield Radioactive Beam Facility (HRIBF) will be available in the afternoon of Wednesday, July 26.

The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) is an accelerator-based neutron source being built in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, by the Department of Energy. This one-of-a-kind facility will be completed in 2006 and will provide the most intense pulsed neutron beams in the world for scientific research and industrial development. The total cost of the construction of SNS is estimated to be $1.4 billion.

The Holifield Radioactive Beam Facility (HRIBF) is an international user facility that produces beams of short-lived, unstable nuclei for research in nuclear structure and nuclear astrophysics. HRIBF is the only facility in the United States dedicated to radioactive beam production using the ISOL technology, and is the first ISOL facility in the world to produce post-accelerated beams of fission fragments (heavy neutron-rich isotopes).

Those who wish to take a tour of the SNS and HRIBF must register before July 10 in order to obtain access permit to ORNL. This applies to both U.S. citizens and foreign nationals.

Those who have signed up for the tour before the July 10, 2006 deadline will board buses in front of the lobby of the Pollard conference center. After the tour of the SNS, buses will transport people to the HRIBF for a tour and followed by a reception. At the end of the reception, attendees will re-board the buses and return to Doubletree hotel in Oak Ridge.

We may also organize an excursion to the Great Smoky Mountains and/or whitewater rafting on Ocoee on Saturday July 29 if we receive sufficient indications of interest. Please make sure to mark your preference on the registration form if you are interested in these events.