Scientific opportunities
FRIB will make possible a range of new scientific opportunities. These have been well documented in recent years in a range of publications, including:
- The Frontiers of Nuclear Science (PDF 12MB), DOE/NSF Nuclear Science Advisory Committee, December 2007
- Four years later: An Interim Report on Facilities for the Future of Science: A Twenty-Year Outlook (PDF 1.97MB), DOE, August 2007
- Scientific Opportunities with a FRIB in the United States, National Research Council, December 2006
- Report to NSAC of the Rare-Isotope Beam Task Force (PDF 1.34MB), July 2007
- The Science of the Rare Isotope Accelerator (RIA): A Brochure from the RIA Users Community (PDF 6.78MB), 2006
As outlined by the 2006 brochure from the RIA users community, one of the more succinct descriptions of opportunities associated with a new facility, "[t]he fields of nuclear structure and astrophysics provide the link between our understanding of the fundamental constituents of nature and the understanding of the matter of which we, the Earth, and stars are made. Expertise in these areas is also central to applied fields such as energy, security, and medicine."
The brochure, from which we've summarized key sections, goes on to describe science questions that can be addressed under four main themes: physics of nuclei, nuclear astrophysics, fundamental interactions, and potential benefits to the nation and humankind.
