Facility for Rare Isotope Beams

08/23/2025

This timelapse shows the construction and testing of the Gamma-Ray Energy Tracking Array (GRETA) at Berkeley Lab. This advanced nuclear detector is now ready to be shipped and installed at FRIB. GRETA will transform how scientists explore – with unprecedented resolution – the inner workings of the short-lived rare isotopes only available at FRIB.

The project team at Berkeley Lab will ship the instrument to FRIB this summer.

This timelapse video shows the construction and testing of GRETA at Berkeley Lab. Credit: GRETA collaborationMore Berkeley Lab news: http://newscenter.lbl.go...

08/23/2025

FRIB graduate assistants Richard Gumbel and Andy Smith have been awarded 2025–2026 Chateaubriand Fellowships, which support U.S. PhD students who seek to carry out part of their research in France.

Both Gumbel and Smith will conduct their research in France starting in September, at L2IT and IJCLab respectively.

Their participation is supported by funding from the French Embassy in the U.S., CNRS, and Université Paris-Saclay.

Learn more about Gumbel, Smith, and their research: spr.ly/6006fxCN8

08/18/2025

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) physicist Cole Pruitt has been awarded the 2025 Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) Achievement Award for Early Career Researchers in theoretical nuclear physics. The national honor recognizes early-career scientists who have made significant contribu...

08/13/2025

A research team led by two FRIB graduate students, Patrick Cook and Danny Jammoo, is developing new ways to train machine learning (ML) algorithms for nuclear science research.

A paper published by Nature Portfolio showcases the team's use of an ML method called Parametric Matrix Models (PMMs). Unlike traditional artificial intelligence neural networks, PMMs are grounded in real physics equations, helping scientists solve problems with greater efficiency and accuracy.

Learn more about the team and their research: http://spr.ly/6003fUqh9

08/11/2025

🎉 Big news in nuclear science! Major construction of GRETA – the Gamma-Ray Energy Tracking Array – is complete! This precision detector will help scientists unlock the secrets of atomic nuclei.

GRETA to Open A New Eye On the Nucleus ⬇️
https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2025/08/08/greta-to-open-a-new-eye-on-the-nucleus/

08/08/2025

FRIB Scientific Director Alexandra Gade has been awarded the title of University Distinguished Professor, one of the highest honors bestowed by Michigan State University. The title recognizes faculty members who are nationally and internationally renowned for their extraordinary efforts in teaching and public service as well as their scholarly and creative achievements.

Through her research into the structure of short-lived atomic nuclei Gade has collaborated with many colleagues across the nuclear science community, reflecting a deep commitment to advancing nuclear science through shared knowledge and collective effort.

Learn more about Gade and her accomplishments: http://spr.ly/6004fYJgE

07/22/2025

Brandon Lem, a graduate assistant at FRIB, has received the U.S. Department of Energy Nuclear National Security Administration Stewardship Science Graduate Fellowship for the 2025-2026 academic year.

A collaboration between the National Nuclear Security Administration and the Krell Institute, this fellowship supports doctoral students pursuing research in high energy density physics, nuclear science, and materials under extreme conditions.

Learn more about the fellowship and Lem’s research: http://spr.ly/6000fHmfG

07/09/2025

Gold, silver, and platinum — along with other heavy elements — come from stars. How? “People like to do DNA tests to see where their ancestors came from. We’re doing the same with our planet and solar system.” —Artemis Spyrou, nuclear astrophysicist
https://www.quantamagazine.org/physicists-start-to-pin-down-how-stars-forge-heavy-atoms-20250702/

07/03/2025

Congratulations to the winners of the 2025 FRIB Achievement Award for Early Career Researchers! Erich Leistenschneider of Berkeley Lab is the recipient of the experimental award, and Cole Pruitt of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is the recipient of the theory award.

This award recognizes outstanding original contributions to the field of nuclear physics through work at or relating to FRIB, performed by scientists early in their careers.

Learn more about Leistenschneider, Pruitt, and their research: http://spr.ly/60074lFVV

06/23/2025

R is for Rare Isotopes! MSU Today features FRIB in an alphabetical list showcasing 26 areas of impactful research at MSU, outlined from A to Z. Read the full article: http://spr.ly/60044w07E

-AgBioResearch
-Biometrics
-Cancer therapies
-Diamonds
-Education policy
-Food security
-Great Lakes
-Health policy

From A to Z. From campus to across the world. From 145-year-old experiments to modern-day advances.

MSU research is improving lives.

06/10/2025

An experiment that originally aimed to study the astrophysical side of nuclear science has instead illuminated new findings in nuclear structure.

Using the Summing Nal Detector (SuN) to examine the nuclear decay chain of iron-70 to cobalt-70, a team of experimental and theoretical scientists found cobalt-70 particles exhibiting both spherical and deformed states. This result will help scientists understand how an atomic nucleus can have two different shapes corresponding to only slightly different energy levels (“shape coexistence”).

The team included FRIB faculty Artemis Spyrou, Sean Liddick, Alex Brown, and Cade Dembski, former FRIB student research assistant. Dembski, now working on his PhD at the University of Notre Dame, served as the paper’s lead author.

Learn more about the researchers and their findings: http://spr.ly/60054H0iv

05/31/2025

In May, undergraduate students from a variety of US institutions gathered at FRIB for the National Science Foundation (NSF)-supported Nuclear Science Summer School (NS³) to learn about the fields of nuclear science and nuclear astrophysics. Students attended lectures and learned through hands-on activities provided by FRIB scientists. They also made valuable connections with researchers and peers in their fields of interest.

Visit the FRIB website to learn more: http://spr.ly/6004NAFf2