The Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics - Center for the Evolution of the Elements (JINA-CEE) hosted The First Frontiers Summer School 15-18 May, at Michigan State University. The school is aimed at early-career scientists in nuclear physics, astrophysics, or astronomy.

The First Frontiers Summer School provides early-career scientists experience in major areas of JINA-CEE science:

• Where do the elements come from that make up our world?
• What are basic properties of matter when compressed to high density?

The summer school exposes students in major areas of science to other areas they may not have experience in. The school trains astronomers in nuclear physics, and trains nuclear physicists in astronomy.

The school covered the major areas of JINA-CEE science. These areas include the creation of elements in stars and the behavior of dense neutron stars. Students attended lectures in many different areas of science. These areas include nuclear physics experiments, nuclear physics theory, astronomy, and many more. More than forty-five people attended, including a dozen speakers. Attendees came from the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia.

Postdocs and senior graduate students organized the First Frontiers Summer School.

“Having speakers who are early career scientists themselves helped foster a great learning environment,” said Dr. Matt Caplan, professor of physics at McGill University, who lectured at the summer school. “The school was participant-driven, and the last day of lectures were topics chosen in response to student requests.”

JINA-CEE is a National Science Foundation (NSF) Physics Frontiers Center that addresses fundamental questions about the nature of extremely dense matter in the cosmos, and the origin of the chemical elements that make up our world. Learn more at the JINA-CEE website.