The SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory is a major research laboratory, owned by the U.S. Department of Energy and operated by Stanford University. Established in 1962, its mission is to design, construct, and operate state-of-the-art electron accelerators. At the heart of SLAC is a three-kilometer (two-mile) long linear particle accelerator and related facilities. This machine accelerates electrons to very high speeds and energy levels. The original purpose of this and other accelerators was to smash the electrons in targets; the resulting collisions briefly break atomic particles apart and provide clues about the building blocks of atoms. It can also be used to produce intense beams of x-rays, which scientists can then use to take extraordinarily clear pictures of atoms and molecules in electronic materials, human proteins, and chemical reactions. SLAC's work is unclassified, and most of its funding comes from the Department of Energy's Office of Science. The SLAC Laboratory has its own staff of physics, engineers, and computer scientists, and is also a national user facility available to researchers from universities, laboratories, and companies in the U.S. and around the world.