Scientists explore the origin of aluminum-26 in stars with a nuclear reaction that exploits the fact that neutrons and protons are stunningly similar. Scientists from the University of Surrey and the FRIB Laboratory at MSU teamed up to explore the origin of aluminum-26.

Filomena Nunes, managing director of the FRIB Theory Alliance, discusses how the limits of nuclear stability provide deep insights into the fundamental force responsible for the presence of matter. Exotic nuclei are created, if only for an instant. A major ambition of our generation is to understand where and how heavy matter forms. Exotic neutron-rich nuclei are an essential piece of that puzzle.

MSU's $730 million Facility for Rare Isotope Beams is about 95-percent complete, said FRIB Laboratory Director Thomas Glasmacher. And scientists are already asking to use the FRIB’s 400-kilowatt superconducting linear accelerator. A subscription to the Lansing State Journal is required to view this article.

The upcoming Facility for Rare Isotope Beams in Michigan is a cutting-edge accelerator that promises great things for nuclear physicists, especially those with applications in mind.

Michigan State University received a $13 million federal grant to harvest isotopes at Facility for Rare Isotope Beams.