Argonne National Laboratory, Government research laboratory in Lemont, United States.
Argonne National Laboratory is a government research facility on a wide campus in Lemont, roughly 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Chicago in DuPage County. The site borders the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve and hosts many buildings, including research labs and large instruments such as the Advanced Photon Source particle accelerator.
The facility grew out of the Manhattan Project when Enrico Fermi's team achieved the first controlled nuclear chain reaction at the University of Chicago in 1942. After World War II ended, the lab was formally established as Argonne in 1946 and shifted toward civilian atomic research.
Researchers here work together on projects ranging from energy storage to examining materials under extreme conditions. Visitors can gain insight into research fields like battery technology and climate science during public open days.
The lab occasionally organizes public tours and events where visitors can see parts of the research facilities. Advance registration is usually required because access to the site is restricted.
The facility designed early nuclear reactors and contributed to developing the first nuclear-powered submarine, USS Nautilus. Much of its current work focuses on battery research and using supercomputers for materials science.
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