The CEA Paris-Saclay center is one of nine centers belonging to the

French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, or CEA ( French: Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives), is a French public government-funded research organisation in the areas of energy, defense and sec ...

(CEA). Following a reorganization in 2017, the center consists of multiple sites, including the CEA Saclay site (formerly a "center"), the Fontenay-aux-Roses site and the sites of Paris, Évry, Orsay and Caen. Historically, as the main Saclay site was the heart of French nuclear research it was called Saclay Nuclear Research Center prior to the shift towards other fields of research and innovation besides nuclear. The center has close ties with

Paris-Saclay University Paris-Saclay University (, ) is a combined technological research institute and public research university in Orsay, France. Paris-Saclay was established in 2019 after the merger of four technical ''grandes écoles,'' as well as several technol ...

, being located on the Saclay plateau and active in the Paris-Saclay project for innovation.

Organization

Since February 2017, various sites were grouped together to the CEA Paris-Saclay center, including * Saclay site (formerly a "center") * Fontenay-aux-Roses site * Paris site * Évry site ( Genoscope) * Orsay site (Service Hospitalier Frédéric Joliot, SHFJ) * Caen site ( GANIL and )

History

On 10 October 1945,

Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French general and statesman who led the Free France, Free French Forces against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government of the French Re ...

launched the CEA. In 1946, the

Fontenay-aux-Roses Fontenay-aux-Roses () is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. In 1880, a girls school was opened in the town. It was one of the most prestigious of Paris and even of whole France in t ...

site was realized, followed by the Saclay site 6 years later in 1952. The Saclay site, located 20 km south of Paris on the Saclay plateau, is much bigger and was chosen in part to be close to

Université Paris-Sud Paris-Sud University (), also known as the University of Paris — XI (or as the Orsay Faculty of Sciences, University of Paris before 1971), was a French research university distributed among several campuses in the southern suburbs of Paris, ...

(which today is part of

). The Saclay site was designed by the architect

Auguste Perret Auguste Perret (12 February 1874 – 25 February 1954) was a French architect and a pioneer of the architectural use of reinforced concrete. His major works include the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, the first Art Deco building in Paris; the C ...

Research

The complex employs more than 7,500 scientists. Although CEA Saclay was initially focused on nuclear research, multiple domains of research are carried out there since a few decades back. These include: * Low-carbon energies * Climate and environment * Matter and universe * Health and life sciences * Technology for industry

Reactors

The Saclay site has been home to multiple

nuclear research reactors Nuclear may refer to: Physics Relating to the nucleus of the atom: *Nuclear engineering *Nuclear physics *Nuclear power *Nuclear reactor *Nuclear weapon *Nuclear medicine *Radiation therapy *Nuclear warfare Mathematics *Nuclear space *Nuclear ...

, including the , and reactors. The Osiris and Isis reactors (operated between 1965–2019) inspired the design of Iraq's facility.Ramberg, Bennett. ''Nuclear Power Plants as Weapons for the Enemy: An Unrecognized Military Peril''. University of California Press, 1985. p. xvii. Multiple bacterial species were discovered to thrive in those reactor cores during operation, and may have fed off

hydrogen Hydrogen is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol H and atomic number 1. It is the lightest and abundance of the chemical elements, most abundant chemical element in the universe, constituting about 75% of all baryon, normal matter ...

from

radiolysis Radiolysis is the dissociation of molecules by ionizing radiation. It is the cleavage of one or several chemical bonds resulting from exposure to high-energy flux. The radiation in this context is associated with ionizing radiation; radiolysis is ...

Notable subsidiaries

* National Institute for Nuclear Science and Technology (INSTN), which is dedicated to the academic and professional training in the field of atomic energy. * (IRAMIS), which houses the (LIDyL)

joint research unit A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link an animal's skeletal system into a functional whole.Saladin, Ken. Anatomy & Physiology. 7th ed. McGra ...

where both

Anne L'Huillier Anne Geneviève L'Huillier (; born 16 August 1958) is a French physicist. She is a professor of atomic physics at Lund University in Sweden. She leads an attosecond physics group which studies the movements of electrons in real time, which is ...

and Pierre Agostini attained breakthroughs in attosecond lasers, leading to their

Nobel prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...

share in 2023. * NeuroSpin is a neuroimaging research center with some of the most powerful MRI machines in the world

Director of the site

* Hervé Barbelin (2024–present) * Christian Bailly (2021–2024) * Michel Bédoucha (2016–2021) * Jacques Vayron (2012–2016) * Yves Caristan (2005–2012) * Jean-Pierre Pervès (2000–2005) * Eliane Loquet (1993–2000) * Jean Bazin (1990–1993) * Paul Delpeyroux (–1990) * ... * (1954–1970) *

Jules Guéron Jules Guéron (2 June 1907 – 11 October 1990) was a French physical chemist and atomic scientist who played a key role in the development of atomic energy in France. Biography Early life Guéron was educated at Lycée Charlemagne in Paris (1 ...

(1951)

People

, first director of the CEA's nuclear research center *

Jean-Baptiste Waldner Jean-Baptiste Waldner (born 30 March 1959) is a French engineer, management consultant and author, known for his contributions in the fields of computer-integrated manufacturing, enterprise architecture, nanoelectronics, nanocomputers and swarm i ...

, alumnus *

Étienne Klein Étienne Klein (; born 1958) is a French physicist and philosopher of science, born in 1958. A graduate of École Centrale Paris, he holds a DEA (Master of Advanced Studies) in theoretical physics, as well as a Ph.D. in philosophy of science and ...

, physicist, philosopher of science, author, and radio host *

, ultra-fast laser physics, 2023 Nobel laureate in physics * Pierre Agostini, pioneer of strong-field laser physics, 2023 Nobel laureate in physics * Valérie Masson-Delmotte, climate scientist, co-chair of Working Group 1 of the

IPCC The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an intergovernmental body of the United Nations. Its job is to "provide governments at all levels with scientific information that they can use to develop climate policies". The World M ...

References

External links

Official website of Saclay in English
French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission Nuclear history of France Nuclear research institutes in France