History of the Institute of Nuclear Sciences at UNAM

The Institute of Nuclear Sciences (ICN) at UNAM has 48 years of history as an academic entity. It takes part in the Scientific Research Subsystem and since its origins has distinguished itself by conducting cutting-edge scientific research in various areas of physics and chemistry, both in theoretical and experimental projects. The ICN started as a Nuclear Laboratory and evolved in several ways before becoming the current entity.

The Nuclear Laboratory at UNAM

The first antecedent of the ICN was the Nuclear Laboratory at UNAM, which was founded on February 1st, 1967, on the 14th floor of the then Sciences Tower, during the administration of Rector Javier Barros Sierra. Its first location was a laboratory in the School of Chemistry and its founding director was M.Sc. Luis Gálvez Cruz, he was also the founder of the Master in Nuclear Studies. At that time all the personnel were in the same space: the director, the secretary, and the full-time staff, which consisted of six researchers working in nuclear medicine, nuclear physics, nuclear engineering, and nuclear chemistry. Their main objectives were to contribute to training specialized personnel by teaching courses in the Schools of Engineering, Medicine, Chemistry, and Sciences. In addition, they provided scientific and technological training services, and they conducted basic and applied research. Since there were so few members in the unit, they all had to carry out several academic and administrative tasks.

Soon after its establishment, the members, and the infrastructure of the Laboratory was divided into two locations: the directorate, administrative staff, and academics, with their corresponding cubicles, were moved to the former School of Science; the laboratory technicians remained in the School of Chemistry. At that time, the Nuclear Laboratory had six branches:

• Instrumentation and radiological protection
• Radioisotopes
• Physics, chemistry, and metallurgy
• Medical-biological
• Nuclear Technology
• Two offices: service office and administrative office

In 1969, and by an agreement of Rector José Barros Sierra, the Nuclear Laboratory merged with the Center for Materials Research (CIM) at UNAM, with the former remaining as one of the programs of the CIM. Two years later, the CIM was divided again into two independent organizations, both of them subordinated to the Scientific Research Coordinating Office. At the end of 1972, Rector Pablo González Casanova agreed that the Nuclear Laboratory would become the Nuclear Studies Center (CEN). By this time, the CEN already had 53 members, of which 29 were academics.

The Nuclear Studies Center (CEN)

The CEN was located in the scientific research area in University City and had two pavilions. From 1971 to 1975, it was administered by M.Sc. Manuel Navarrete Tejero and there were studies from different areas: nuclear chemistry, medicine, technology, and engineering. This period marked the beginning and completion of the construction of the building that housed the nuclear reactor and the first high-intensity gamma irradiation source of the institute. Members of the CEN referred to this building as “the house of the Flintstones”.

In 1976, Dr. Marcos Rosenbaum Pitluck became the director of the CEN. He encouraged the growth of the center, from its infrastructure to its academic staff. Thus, he hired several researchers from all over the world, promoting among other things research in the physics area. During this period, the works of the first expansion took place. Within this project was the renovation of one of the already existing buildings, as well as the construction of another that currently accommodates the laboratories, the Computing Unit, cubicles, and the directive offices.

In 1980, an agreement was announced with Rector Guillermo Soberón Acevedo in which the objectives and functions of the CEN were modified. Since then, the entity adopted as its main objective “to contribute to the development of the nuclear sciences, as well as to boost the technological and cultural growth of Mexico.”

Finally, in 1988 the Nuclear Studies Center became the current Institute of Nuclear Sciences, continuing under the direction of Dr. Marcos Rosenbaum Pitluck until 1996. Precisely in 1996, an extensive expansion of the Institute’s facilities was carried out: the building that currently accommodates the library, the Marcos Moshinsky auditorium, the Administrative Unit, and the Gravitation and High Energies departments was constructed. During this stage, the Institute was consolidated.

From 1996 to 2004 the Institute was directed by Dr. Octavio Castaños Garza. During this period, an internal restructuring was carried out, which resulted in the current structure of 5 departments. In addition, the building that houses the Irradiation Unit and the Gamma Beam Irradiator was also built and thus replaced the original building.

Under the direction of Dr. Alejandro Frank Hoeflich, from 2004 to 2012, the Institute’s objectives focused on theoretical, experimental and applied research on the fundamental components of matter and their interactions. Among other things, elementary particles and the structure of the space were studied at very small dimensions, and on an increasing scale, nuclei and molecules, until reaching the study of our Universe as a whole. Experimental research was also reinforced in the areas of particle physics, cosmic ray detection, exotic nuclei, quantum and applied optics, and Mars exploration. Similarly, there was a collaboration in international projects with CERN, NASA, The Pierre Auger Observatory and the JEM-EUSO project, among others. As for the domestic projects: the Institute’s Dissemination and Divulgation Unit was created, the work of the Irradiation Unit continued, which provided support to research and industry, the computing structure was improved, and the efforts of the Information and Library Unit were expanded to include the generation of information systems.

During the tenure of Dr. Miguel Alcubierre Moya, Director of the ICN, which has spanned from 2012 to date, the Institute continues to be a diverse unit, where research is conducted in various areas of physics and chemistry, including: gravitation and field theories, mathematical physics, high energy physics, plasma physics, quantum mechanics, nuclear physics, atomic and molecular physics, radiation chemistry, radiochemistry, the origins of life, astrophysics, and astrobiology.

In experimental research, there have been several significant achievements. The Curiosity mission, which successfully landed on Mars in 2012, carried out important studies with the help of experiments designed in part by the ICN. The HAWC Observatory for gamma-rays was inaugurated and successfully started its operation. ICN continued to collaborate with CERN through the ALICE experiment and signed a “Memorandum of Understanding” for the operation of a Tier 2 for the Grid. Participation on the Pierre Auger Observatory also continued and the PIXQUI and DAMIC project, among others, was initiated. Recently, it was inaugurated the Center for Complexity Sciences (C3). During this stage, major support has been given to the science communication actions in the ICN.