• 26 September 2026
• Nature Communications

Researchers have resolved a long-standing discrepancy in measurements of nuclear size in rare-earth elements, providing new insights into how nuclear charge radii change between neighboring elements. The study, published in Nature Communications, included FRIB faculty member Witek Nazarewicz and found that current nuclear theory cannot fully explain the unexpectedly large differences observed, providing new constraints for future experimental and theoretical studies.

• 17 September 2026
• Phys.org

A research team has reported the first experimental investigation of a nuclear physics reaction essential for understanding how the element strontium is produced in stars—specifically in stellar environments where traditional explanations for its formation fall short. The project was led by Caley Harris, a former graduate student at FRIB. 

• 1 August 2026
• Interesting Engineering

A next-generation nuclear detection system that could aid US national security efforts has logged its first operational measurements in Michigan. The Gamma-Ray Energy Tracking Array, known as GRETA, recently completed its initial characterization run at Michigan State University. Located at FRIB, the instrument met all primary performance targets during early beam testing.

• 4 March 2026
• Lansing State Journal

Michigan State University's K500 Chip Testing Facility, inaugurated in February at FRIB, cost approximately $14 million to establish, with funding provided by the U.S. Department of Defense. The project repurposed the campus' K500 superconducting cyclotron, completed in 1982 for high-energy, heavy-ion research, including producing and accelerating ion beams to study nuclear structure, to now allow the facility to test semiconductors for space, defense and on-Earth applications.