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SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
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<p>SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, originally named the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, is a <a href="/facts/Federally_funded_research_and_development_centers/0qJDmR4K">federally funded research and development center</a> in <a href="/facts/Menlo_Park,_California/mHQVj2Jx">Menlo Park</a>, <a href="/facts/California/zLW2vdQJ">California</a>, <a href="/facts/United_States/P0sCdLe5">United States</a>. Founded in 1962, the laboratory is now sponsored by the <a href="/facts/United_States_Department_of_Energy/PRp6Cz8g">United States Department of Energy</a> and administrated by <a href="/facts/Stanford_University/JEQeF9z2">Stanford University</a>. It is the site of the Stanford Linear Accelerator, a 3.2 kilometer (2-mile) <a href="/facts/Linear_accelerator/GIz6Uc4x">linear accelerator</a> constructed in 1966 that could accelerate electrons to energies of 50 <a href="/facts/GeV/YMT1fqX9">GeV</a>. </p><p>Today SLAC research centers on a broad program in <a href="/facts/Atomic_physics/7Jlm4I7k">atomic</a> and <a href="/facts/Solid_state_physics/Cmc6hvyR">solid-state physics</a>, <a href="/facts/Chemistry/SrNqkGVm">chemistry</a>, <a href="/facts/Biology/1M1ee3pB">biology</a>, and <a href="/facts/Medicine/2fnp90Je">medicine</a> using X-rays from <a href="/facts/Synchrotron_radiation/mTsSKmRz">synchrotron radiation</a> and a <a href="/facts/Free-electron_laser/ew2F96XV">free-electron laser</a> as well as <a href="/facts/Experimental_physics/2Ile53Iq">experimental</a> and <a href="/facts/Theoretical_physics/Cs2Y12rQ">theoretical</a> research in <a href="/facts/Elementary_particle/CTFDM97U">elementary</a> <a href="/facts/Particle_physics/YgIuyj2t">particle physics</a>, <a href="/facts/Accelerator_physics/2cgsbvQ6">accelerator physics</a>, <a href="/facts/Astroparticle_physics/dgD0g7UH">astroparticle physics</a>, and <a href="/facts/Cosmology/yM19zM7Y">cosmology</a>. The laboratory is under the programmatic direction of the United States Department of Energy Office of Science. </p>