Yale Wright Laboratory (Wright Lab) is a facility and research community at Yale University in New Haven, CT. Wright Lab enables researchers to develop, build and use research instrumentation for experiments in nuclear, particle and astrophysics across the globe that investigate the invisible universe. Before a transformation to its current purpose in 2017, Wright Lab was known as the Arthur W. Wright Nuclear Structure Laboratory (WNSL). WNSL housed the first "Emperor" tandem Van de Graaff heavy ion accelerator[1] and was founded by D. Allan Bromley, the "father of heavy-ion physics," in 1961[2] (see History, below, for more information).
Wright Lab is named for Arthur Williams Wright, who was awarded one of the first three Ph.D.s in science in the Americas (all of which were awarded by Yale University in 1861). The building complex joins two buildings that were constructed and renovated at different times, for different purposes, yet always related to Yale physics research.
The history of Wright Lab begins with the creation of accelerator physics in the 1920s, continues with the creation of the Arthur W. Wright Nuclear Structure Laboratory (WNSL) to operate the Yale MP-1 "Emperor" tandem Van de Graaff heavy ion accelerator from 1966 until 2011, and continues further with its transformation into the new Wright Lab, which was dedicated in 2017, to enable Wright Lab's research program in nuclear, particle and astrophysics. A brief timeline is below.
| Earnest Lawrence started forming the concept underlying the cyclotron in 1926, when he was an instructor at Yale.[3] | ||
| 1930s | A version of Lawrence’s cyclotron was built at Yale by Earnest Pollard and Howard Schultz. | |
| 1940s | An early linear accelerator (linac) for electrons was built at Yale in the 1940’s by Schultz and Carol Montgomery. | |
| 1950s | A heavy ion linac was designed and built at Yale in the 1950’s by Robert Beringer and others, with physics results starting in 1958. | |
| 1961 | D. Allan Bromley initiates design of the first MP (Emperor) tandem electrostatic accelerator.[4] | |
| 1962 | Yale submits a proposal for construction of Emperor accelerator to Atomic Energy Commission: Construction contract signed with High Voltage Engineering, Dec. 27, 1962. | |
| 1964 | A research contract for $781,000 was awarded to Yale University and D.A. Bromley for the Emperor Tandem Van de Graaff Research Program.[5] | |
| 1964-66 | A. W. Wright Nuclear Structure Laboratory (WNSL) and the first MP tandem accelerator (MP-1) were constructed at Yale. Dedication October 5, 1966.[6] [7] In the following years, several other MP accelerators were built in North America [8] and in Europe.[9] | |
| 1965-67 | Joint Study program involving WNSL at Yale and T.J. Watson Laboratory of IBM results in state-of-the-art data acquisition and control system at Wright Laboratory. | |
| 1967 | First WNSL research papers published.[10] | |
| 1974 | The performance of MP tandem accelerator was upgraded through installation of new stainless steel acceleration tubes. | |
| 1978 | A proposal for conversion of Yale MP tandem accelerator to STU status was submitted to Department of Energy. | |
| 1982 | DOE approves MP-ESTU conversion on July, 1982. | |
| 1983 | The New York Times publishes an article about the upgrade on August 4, 1983.[11] | |
| 1985 | Research activity with MP tandem accelerator was terminated May 29, 1985 and conversion program was initiated. | |
| 1987 | Terminal potential of 22.4 million volts was reached on July 4, 1987. Dedication of ESTU-1 accelerator facility, August 7, 1987. | |
| 2011 | Operation of the ESTU tandem ends. | |
| 2013 | Decommissioning of the ESTU and associated equipment begins. The Wright Lab’s new Director, Karsten Heeger, begins renovations of the facility as well as a new research program in nuclear, particle and astrophysics. | |
| 2016 | The newly renovated Wright Lab opens for personnel. | |
| 2017 | The Wright Lab’s public Opening Ceremony is held on May 16, 2017. |
| D. Allan Bromley | 1961-1989 | |
| Peter Parker | 1989-1995 | |
| Francesco Iachello | 1995 | |
| Rick Casten | 1995-2008 | |
| John W. Harris | 2008-2010 | |
| O. Keith Baker | 2010-2013 | |
| Karsten Heeger | 2013–present |