It will also produce lots of heat. RIA's ion beams will be used to study the origin of the elements and test current models of physics, but their intensity would destroy typical thin-film targets. Working with the University of Chicago Medical School, Argonne researchers are studying electric arcs, their propagation through the atmosphere and interaction with human bodies.
Doctors hope to learn how to improve patient treatment as well as how to improve equipment.
It runs on computers ranging from parallel processors to Cray supercomputers to engineering workstations. Depending on the problem's complexity, run time ranges from one hour to months. The nation's first national laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory conducts basic and applied scientific research across a wide spectrum of disciplines, ranging from high-energy physics to climatology and biotechnology. Since 1990, Argonne has worked with more than 600 companies and numerous federal agencies and other organizations to help advance America's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for the future. Argonne is operated by the University of Chicago as part of the U.S. Department of Energy 's national laboratory system.