Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab)

The primary mission of Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab) is to enable basic research to build a comprehensive understanding of the atom’s nucleus.

Laboratory staff and an international user community of scientists and students — more than 1,500 strong — study protons and neutrons and their constituent quarks and gluons using the lab’s unique particle accelerator, known as the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF).

Managing and operating the lab for DOE is Jefferson Science Associates, LLC, a limited liability company comprising the Southeastern Universities Research Association. Multiple helium refrigeration plants ranging from 180 W at 4 K to 4,600 W at 2 K support research at the laboratory.

The Cryogenic Department staff focuses on improving capital equipment costs, system efficiencies and applied cryogenic helium refrigeration engineering R&D through collaborations with industry, other national laboratories and government agencies.