Interactions between matter and energy shape our world and the universe around us, and applications of matter and energy are hugely important to our day-to-day lives. Physical Sciences Area researchers study these interactions at scales ranging from the outermost reaches of the cosmos to the innermost confines of subatomic particles. Their work has won two Nobel Prizes in the last 10 years.
Staff researchers bring scientific and engineering expertise to everything from upgrades to the Large Hadron Collider that make it even more powerful, to experiments searching for dark matter and dark energy in locations as varied as a former gold mine in South Dakota and the heights of the Andes Mountains. Their expertise also has practical applications for industry and national security. Advanced engineering and project management ensure that these demanding projects can do what is needed on schedule and within budget. In this context, the Physical Sciences Area works on the design of the next generation of particle and light sources, as well as an innovative laser-plasma accelerator.
Throughout these diverse efforts to study some of today’s grand problems and build tomorrow’s research tools, a team approach and collaborations that span borders of nations and disciplines continue to serve us well.
The Physical Sciences Area encompasses the Accelerator Technology & Applied Physics Division, the Engineering Division, the Nuclear Science Division and the Physics Division.