Jefferson Lab:  What It Takes to Explore the Nature of Matter



Composite image showing aspects of the NP program

Through research, nuclear physicists are leading us on a journey of discovery into the nucleus of the atom - the very heart of matter. The goal is a roadmap of matter that will help unlock the secrets of how the universe is put together.

The Office of Nuclear Physics in the Department of Energy (DOE's) Office of Science supports the experimental and theoretical research needed to create this roadmap. This quest requires a broad approach to different, but related, scientific frontiers: improving our understanding of the building blocks of matter; discovering the origins of nuclei; and identifying the forces that transform matter. Stewardship of the field is shared with the National Science Foundation (NSF's) Nuclear Physics Program. DOE and NSF fund almost all basic research in Nuclear Physics.

Funding for nuclear physics provides leading-edge instrumentation, world-class facilities, and training and support for the people involved in these pursuits. The result is a vast array of information that is helping us understand the universe at ever-deeper levels.

Forefront nuclear physics research provides solid foundations for other fields: the accumulation of new results and the intellectual training of new generations of scientists foster important advances in medicine, chemistry and other sciences.