Board of Regents Greenlights Cyclotron Institute Facility Expansion

Texas A&M University soon will expand its Cyclotron Institute to handle additional radiation effects testing and advanced nuclear science research for space and defense industries and Texas A&M students.

The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents authorized $28.1 million for the expansion project, which is slated to start later this year.

"Sixty-two years ago this month, nuclear science history was made in Aggieland when Texas Governor John B. Connally visited the Texas A&M campus to deliver the good news that a $6 million 'atom smasher' would be built at Texas A&M — a decision that Texas A&M President James Earl Rudder '32 lauded as 'a real breakthrough into excellence,'" said Board Chairman Robert L. Albritton. "Today, we honor that pioneering spirit by making our own modern-day commitment to supporting cutting-edge discovery science, society-advancing applications and unparalleled nuclear science education for all current and future Texas A&M students."

The allocation, approved Thursday (Feb. 5) during the February meeting of the Board, represents a major move toward enhancing Texas A&M’s world-leading radiation effects testing and discovery science capabilities. The expansion will add approximately 6,000 square feet to the west side of the Alvin R. Luedecke Cyclotron Institute Building on Texas A&M’s main campus and feature space for additional experimental beam lines and testing areas, as well as a new state-of-the-art spectrometer optimized for experiments with radioactive beams delivered at intensities 10-to-100 times higher than those currently available at Texas A&M.

The Cyclotron Institute, a U.S. Department of Energy University Facility and one of five DOE-designated Centers of Excellence, is jointly supported by the DOE and the state of Texas as a major technical and educational resource for the state, nation and world. Internationally recognized for its research, the institute provides the primary infrastructure support for Texas A&M’s graduate programs in nuclear chemistry and nuclear physics, the latter of which is ranked seventh in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

In addition to conducting basic research crucial to understanding the building blocks of matter and educating students in accelerator-based science and technology, the institute plays an important role for the nation in terms of fundamental science and applications for national security and nuclear medicine. The facility is home to one of only five K500 or larger superconducting cyclotrons worldwide that, in combination with the original K150 cyclotron and advanced electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion sources, enables the institute to deliver 10,000 hours of beam annually in support of discovery science, radiation effects testing and isotope production.

"This facility expansion will elevate the Cyclotron Institute’s research capabilities and enhance its contributions to fields critical to Texas and the broader U.S. economy," said Texas A&M System Vice Chancellor for Research Dr. Joe Elabd. "It will also enable Texas A&M to play a critical role in developing technologies that impact the state’s industrial base, workforce and innovation economy. By fostering collaborative research with international partners and federal agencies, the expanded institute will help to solidify Texas A&M’s leadership in addressing national security and technological challenges on a global scale."

For more than 30 years, the Cyclotron Institute has proven essential in providing high-energy heavy-ion particle testing unmatched in its ability to accurately simulate the effects of space radiation. Unlike X-ray and other testing techniques that cannot fully capture the complexities of space conditions, Texas A&M’s testing is the gold standard for understanding the true impacts of space radiation on electronic systems and mission-critical microchips. Such testing is essential in developing space systems capable of withstanding the rigors of extended missions, particularly in the increasingly competitive and strategically significant domains of Earth orbit as well as lunar- and deep-space exploration.

In the course of the past three decades, the institute’s radiation effects testing program has grown to encompass more than 4,000 hours of dedicated beam time each year, establishing Texas A&M as the premier location in not only the U.S. but also the world at which to do testing of heavy-ion interactions with electronics, an important safeguard for both commercial and military satellites as well as space missions. Each year, more than 500 users come to the institute for these critical studies, perhaps none more memorable than SpaceX and the pivotal testing for nearly 100 electronic components of its Crew Dragon capsule that made history in 2020 as the first crewed spacecraft to lift off from American soil since 2011.

"Cyclotron Institute fundamental and applied research and testing contribute to multiple sectors that are critical to the success of our nation and its research, security and defense," Yennello said. "At the same time, we’re also helping to supply its future workforce needs in these and other areas that are crucial to global innovation and advancement, ranging from exploring the limits of nuclear stability to developing potentially transformational cancer treatments."

With steady industry growth expected, thanks in part to CHIPS (Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors) and Science Act funding and near-space development that will lead to additional applications in space radiation environments, Yennello says increased testing capacity is essential. Factor in the lack of available beam hours nationwide, coupled with an extensively documented shortage of well-trained nuclear practitioners, and she notes that Texas A&M is well-positioned to help provide solutions in a host of areas essential to national and industry needs.

"Texas A&M’s role in supporting the nation’s research, security and defense cannot be overstated," added Dr. Simon W. North, John W. Bevan Professor of Chemistry and interim dean of the Texas A&M College of Arts and Sciences. "As the global competition for dominance in space intensifies, the demand for space-radiation hardness testing will only grow, making the expansion of this facility a national priority. An expanded Cyclotron Institute will allow for increased capacity and greater throughput in testing, meeting the rising needs of both defense and commercial space sectors and thereby ensuring that the U.S. continues to lead in space-radiation hardness testing — a critical component of maintaining our technological edge in space."

Learn more about Texas A&M radiation effects testing or the broader research program within the Cyclotron Institute.