Jefferson Lab to host open house May 19

The U.S. Department of Energy will hold free open house from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 19 at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, 12000 Jefferson Avenue, Newport News.

Visitors will be able to learn about nuclear physics, superconducting materials, supercomputers, particle accelerators, lasers and  more. 

This will be the first opportunity for the public to visit Jefferson Lab's newest experimental hall, which is a cornerstone of the 12 GeV upgrade project at the lab. The $310 million upgrade to Hall D, funded by the Department of Energy's Office of Science, will allow the lab to continue work in nuclear physics research. The project will provide new and enhanced research capabilities for the 1,360 scientists from 259 institutions that come to Jefferson Lab to carry out experiments or who use data from lab experiments. Ground was broken for Hall D in April 2009.

This year's theme "Passport to Science" will provide a new interactive dimension as visitors travel around the lab.  They will be able to see and hear about the lab's research program and its particle-acceleration capability (superconducting radiofrequency), a core capability for which there is growing interest in the United States and abroad. The lab's supercomputing and simulation capabilities will also be on display and the Free-Electron Laser facility will be open. 

Numerous exhibits, demonstrations, tours and hands-on activities are also being planned for the event. Several local universities, museums, private companies and government agencies will present activities and information on complimentary scientific endeavors.

The event is spread out over several facilities and involves a lot of walking, taking multiple flights of concrete stairs and walking inclined truck ramps. In some areas, visitors will be walking on compacted gravel or dirt surfaces instead of pavement. Wear sturdy, comfortable shoes, sunscreen or a brimmed hat and protective clothing. Free shuttle buses will be available to carry visitors between some of the tour stops, but marked areas may be traveled on foot. Photos and videotaping are welcome.

Free public parking for the event will be available on the Jefferson Lab campus and adjacent property. Parking lots will open at 8:30 a.m. No early arrivals admitted. No vehicles will be admitted to the parking lots after 2 p.m. More about the event is available online at www.jlab.org/openhouse.

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