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All information technology—and much of our economy today—relies on understanding the electromagnetic force between the atomic nucleus and the electrons that orbit it. The science of that force is well understood but we still know little about the microcosm within the protons and neutrons that make up the atomic nucleus. That’s why Brookhaven Lab is building a new machine—an Electron-Ion Collider, or EIC—to look <em>inside</em> the nucleus and its protons and neutrons. </p> </div> <div class="grid_10 suffix_2 font-plus-2 intro"> <p>The EIC will be a particle accelerator that collides electrons with protons and nuclei to produce snapshots of those particles’ internal structure—like a CT scanner for atoms. The electron beam will reveal the arrangement of the quarks and gluons that make up the protons and neutrons of nuclei. The force that holds quarks together, carried by the gluons, is the strongest force in Nature. The EIC will allow us to study this “strong nuclear force” and the role of gluons in the matter within and all around us. What we learn from the EIC could power the technologies of tomorrow. </p> </div> <div class="clear"></div>  <div id="explore"> <a class="button" alt="explore the electron-ion collider" href="explore/">EXPLORE the Electron-Ion Collider<span style="margin-left:10px;" class="fa fa-caret-right fa-lg"></span></a> </div> <div class="grid_24 mobileOnly"> <img id="ionCollisionImage" src="images/ion-collision-xparent.png" alt="ion collision" /> </div> <div class="clear"></div> </div> </div>  <div class="contentArea themes container_24"> <div class="grid_6"> <a href="goals.php" class="themeBlock matchHeight" data-mh="themes"> <h3>Overview</h3> <p>The Electron-Ion Collider will be a discovery machine for unlocking the secrets of the "glue" that binds the building blocks of visible matter in the universe.</p> </a> </div> <div class="grid_6"> <a href="machine.php" class="themeBlock matchHeight" data-mh="themes"> <h3>The Machine</h3> <p>The Electron-Ion Collider will consist of two intersecting accelerators, one producing an intense beam of electrons, the other a beam of protons or heavier atomic nuclei which are steered into head-on collisions.</p> </a> </div> <div class="grid_6"> <a href="benefits.php" class="themeBlock matchHeight" data-mh="themes"> <h3>Benefits</h3> <p>Beyond sparking scientific discoveries in a new frontier of fundamental physics, the Electron-Ion Collider will trigger technological breakthroughs that have broad-ranging impact on human health and national challenges.</p> </a> </div> <div class="grid_6"> <a href="science.php" class="themeBlock matchHeight" data-mh="themes"> <h3>EIC Science</h3> <p>The unique and powerful tools of the Electron-Ion Collider will cast fresh light on the forces that bind protons and neutrons together to form nuclei.</p> </a> </div> <div class="grid_24"> <p style="text-align:center; margin-top:2em; font-size:1.2em;">Brookhaven National Lab's <a class="gold" href="https://www.bnl.gov/ec">EIC Directorate</a> coordinates with domestic and international partners to deliver the EIC construction project.</p> </div> <div class="clear"></div> <div class="grid_4 topPad" id="topPad1"> <a href="https://www.bnl.gov"><img class="fwm fwd screenOnly" alt="Brookhaven logo" src="/eic/images/logo-bnl.png" /></a> </div> <div class="grid_4 topPad" id="topPad1"> <a href="https://www.jlab.org/" target="_blank" ><img class="fwm fwd screenOnly" alt="Jeferson Lab logo" src="/eic/images/logo-jlab.png" /></a> </div> <div class="grid_4 topPad" id="topPad2"> <a href="https://science.energy.gov/" target="_blank"><img class="fwm fwd screenOnly" alt="Dept. of Energy logo" src="/eic/images/logo-energy.png" /></a> </div> <div class="grid_12 topPad" id="topPad3"> <p class="boilerplate">Brookhaven National Laboratory advances fundamental research in nuclear and particle physics to gain a deeper understanding of matter, energy, space, and time; applies photon sciences and nanomaterials research to energy challenges of critical importance to the nation; and performs cross-disciplinary research on climate change, sustainable energy, and Earth’s ecosystems.</p> </div> </div> <div class="clear"></div> </div> <div class="footer" id="footer" > <div class="container_24"> <div class="grid_6"> <h3 id="BNL">Brookhaven National Laboratory</h3> <p>PO Box 5000<br> Upton, NY 11973-5000<br> (631) 344-8000</p> <p><a id="contactUs" class="extrasmall white button" href="https://www.bnl.gov/contact-us/">Contact us</a></p> <ul class="socialMediaIcons"> <li><a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/BrookhavenLab" title="Follow Us on 𝕏"><i class="fa-brands fa-square-x-twitter fa-2x"></i></a> <li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/brookhavenlab" title="Follow Us on Facebook"><span class="fa fa-facebook-square fa-2x"></span></a> <li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/brookhavenlab/" title="Follow Us on Instagram"><span class="fa fa-instagram fa-2x"></span></a> <li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/brookhavenlab/" title="Follow Us on LinkedIn"><span class="fa fa-linkedin-square fa-2x"></span></a> <li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/BrookhavenLab" title="Follow Us on YouTube"><span class="fa fa-youtube-square fa-2x"></span></a> <li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.flickr.com/brookhavenlab/" title="Follow Us on Flickr"><span class="fa fa-flickr fa-2x"></span></a> </ul> </div> <div class="grid_3"> <ul class="linkList2"> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/science/">Our Science</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/about/">About</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/about/history/">History</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/about/org/">Leadership</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/visiting/">Visiting the Lab</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/siteindex/">Site Index</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/directory/">Staff Directory</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="grid_3"> <ul class="linkList2"> <li><a target="_blank" href="https://jobs.bnl.gov/">Careers</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/science/facilities.php">Facilities</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/guv/">Guest Center</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/partner/">Partnerships</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/ppm/">For Vendors</a></li> <li><a id="deptLink" href="javascript:void(0);">Departments</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/visiting/events/">Public Events</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="grid_4"> <ul class="linkList2 lastList"> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/newsroom/">Newsroom</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/techtransfer/">Technology Licensing</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/community/">Stakeholder Relations</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/education">Students & Educators</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/about/sustainability/">Sustainability</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/bnlweb/security-notice.php">Privacy and security notice</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="grid_7 prefix_1"> <h3 id="BSA">Brookhaven Science Associates</h3> <p>Brookhaven Science Associates manages and operates Brookhaven National Laboratory on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. 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