300px, RA-6 reactor core, pale blue light product of Cherenkov effect The Bariloche Atomic Centre ( es, Centro Atómico Bariloche) is one of the research and development centres of the

Argentine Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, ...

National Atomic Energy Commission The National Atomic Energy Commission ( es, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, CNEA) is the Argentine government agency in charge of nuclear energy research and development. The agency was created on May 31, 1950, with the mission of dev ...

. As its name implies, it is located in the city of

San Carlos de Bariloche San Carlos de Bariloche, usually known as Bariloche (), is a city in the province of Río Negro, Argentina, situated in the foothills of the Andes on the southern shores of Nahuel Huapi Lake. It is located within the Nahuel Huapi National Park ...

. Bariloche Atomic Centre is responsible for research in

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which ...

and

nuclear engineering Nuclear engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the application of breaking down atomic nuclei ( fission) or of combining atomic nuclei ( fusion), or with the application of other sub-atomic processes based on the principles of n ...

. It also hosts the

Balseiro Institute Balseiro Institute ( es, Instituto Balseiro) is an academic institution that belongs partially to the National University of Cuyo and partially to Argentina's National Atomic Energy Commission. It is located in Bariloche, Río Negro province, ...

, a collaboration between

National University of Cuyo The National University of Cuyo ( es, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, UNCuyo) is the largest center of higher education in the province of Mendoza, Argentina. As of 2005, the university had 12 academic schools in the city of Mendoza and a delegat ...

and the

. The Bariloche Atomic Centre opened in 1955 with its first director,

José Antonio Balseiro José Antonio Balseiro (March 29, 1919 in Córdoba – March 26, 1962 in Bariloche) was an Argentine physicist. Balseiro studied at the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba in his home city, before moving to La Plata to study and research, obtain ...

. The RA-6 reactor started operations in 1982.

Activity

The centre is devoted to basic and applied physics research as well as Nuclear and Mechanical Engineering. Basic research is focused on deepening understanding of nuclear energy. Applied sciences have provided support for both state- and privately owned companies. The main areas of research include: materials, neutrons, thermodynamics and theoretical physics. Nuclear Engineering at the Centre is aimed at further developing Argentina's atomic technology. Most of the research is done taking advantage of RA-6, a 1 MW experimental reactor. Experiments done with the RA-6 include irradiation and radioactive activation of several materials. Some research groups also focus on refining reactor calculations and performance measurements and designing mechanical devices for those tasks. Various companies have sprung out of the Bariloche Atomic Center, such as

INVAP INVAP S.E. is an Argentine company that provides design, integration, construction and delivery of equipment, plants and devices. The company operates in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, and delive ...

y ALTEC. Buildings and structures in Río Negro Province Research institutes in Argentina Nuclear technology in Argentina Nuclear research institutes Nuclear power in Argentina Bariloche 1955 establishments in Argentina {{Argentina-struct-stub