MSU Today showcases research taking place that can impact daily life by advancing technology as well as the funding from federal agencies and other sources that makes this research possible. The article highlights how FRIB is powering new industries and advancing microelectronics in Michigan.
The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE-SC) posted a highlight titled “Rare Isotopes Shed Light on the Size of a Neutrino Wavepacket” about the insight precise measurement of beryllium-7 nuclear decay recoils will provide on the quantum properties of the neutrino. Authors of the publication are from the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams at Michigan State University. Each year, scientists publish thousands of research findings in the scientific literature. About 200 of these are selected annually by their respective program areas in DOE-SC as publication highlights of special note.
Scientists have developed a new method to precisely measure neutrinos by detecting tiny movements of lithium atoms during radioactive decay using ultra-cold sensors. This breakthrough reveals new details about the size and behavior of neutrino wavepackets, challenging existing theories and helping rule out the existence of hypothetical sterile neutrinos. Collaborating institutions included FRIB.
The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE-SC) posted a highlight titled “Experiment reveals competing nuclear shapes in the rare isotope chromium-62” about how successfully modeling chromium-62 hints at an interesting structure for neutron-laden calcium-60. Authors of the publication include scientists from the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams at Michigan State University. Each year, scientists publish thousands of research findings in the scientific literature. About 200 of these are selected annually by their respective program areas in DOE-SC as publication highlights of special note.
City Pulse highlights the MSU Science Festival’s STEAM Expo Weekend, which took place 5-6 April 2025. FRIB had a presence at the expo, recreating the nuclei of stars and duplicating their reactions through hands-on activities.
The U.S. Energy Department’s Office of Science has approved $49.7 million for MSU’s Facility for Rare Isotope Beams. MSU will use the funds to build one of the two parts needed for the planned High-Rigidity Spectrometer (HRS), which will significantly expand its ability to conduct research.
One of the nation's premier research facilities located at Michigan State University is getting a multi-million dollar upgrade. Late last month, the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science approved $49.7 million for MSU's Facility for Rare Isotope Beams.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science (DOE-SC) has recently approved funding for a significant addition to the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) at Michigan State University. The department allocated $49.7 million to start the execution of a new instrument, the High-Transmission Beam Line (HTBL), an integral part of the High Rigidity Spectrometer (HRS). This new development marks another step in DOE-SC’s ongoing investment in FRIB, which has received more than $1.5 billion since 2012.
Scientists—including researchers from the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams—measured the energy width of a lithium-7 nucleus in beryllium-7 decay, setting a lower limit on the spatial extent of neutrino wavepackets. The findings provide insights into neutrino properties and weak nuclear decays.
Students passionate about the evolving space market had an unparalleled opportunity to collaborate with leading engineers from Texas Instruments (TI) and engineers and physicists from Michigan State University (MSU) at the inaugural Single Event Effects (SEE) Radiation Testing Boot Camp. TI sponsored the event in partnership with the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) at MSU and the MSU Space Electronics Initiative.
A team of scientists, including researchers from FRIB, published a paper in Communications Physics regarding obtaining an accurate description of low-density nuclear matter, which is crucial for explaining the physics of neutron star crusts. The team introduced a variational Monte Carlo method based on a neural Pfaffian-Jastrow quantum state, which allowed them to model the transition from the liquid phase to neutron-rich nuclei microscopically.
In an article about Germanium detectors, Oak Ridge National Laboratory highlights James “Mitch” Allmond, a research scientist at Oak Ride National Laboratory, who studies low-energy nuclear physics and nuclear astrophysics. At the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams at Michigan State University, Allmond manages the ongoing FRIB Decay Station initiator (FDSi) project.