The FRIB Program Advisory Committee (PAC) has peer-reviewed science proposals for experiments proposed to be conducted at FRIB.
The PAC-recommended experiments align with national science priorities and span the four FRIB science areas: properties of rare isotopes; nuclear astrophysics; fundamental interactions; and applications for society, including in homeland security.
Additionally, they will utilize the full spectrum of FRIB’s capabilities: fast, stopped, and reaccelerated rare-isotope beams, use of all FRIB experimental areas offered in the first PAC period, as well as all major FRIB instruments. They comprise exciting new research that was not possible prior to the completion of FRIB.
Given the high demand for FRIB, about 35% of the requested beam time was recommended for allocation of beam to the FRIB Laboratory Director. By the numbers, the PAC-recommended experiments represent (compared to the request):
- 38 (out of 84 requested) experiments
- 4,127 (out of 11,859) FRIB facility-use hours
- 454 (out of 611) individuals
- 23 (out of 27) countries represented
- 23 U.S. states
- 111 institutions
The full list of the PAC-recommended experiments is available here.
“We received an impressive number of requests, with great quality and diversity in science and organizations, indicating a healthy community hungry for access to FRIB,” said Jens Dilling, PAC chairperson, from Oak Ridge National Laboratory. “The proposals encompass first rate science and training opportunities for the next generation across all sectors.”
The PAC is a group of international world-leading scientists who are highly regarded in the nuclear science community. Members of the second FRIB PAC (PAC2) met 1-3 March to peer-review each proposal in detail. The committee considered proposals based on scientific merit, consistent with U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE-SC) policy for user facilities. Observers from the DOE-SC Office of Nuclear Physics and the chair of the FRIB Users Organization also attended the meeting.
FRIB is a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE-SC) user facility, open to all interested researchers. Beam time for non-proprietary experiments is granted based on a merit review of proposals. There is no charge for users who are doing non-proprietary work, with the expectation that results are published. PAC-approved experiments are valid for a two-year period.
Michigan State University operates the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) as a user facility for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE-SC), supporting the mission of the DOE-SC Office of Nuclear Physics. Hosting what is designed to be the most powerful heavy-ion accelerator, FRIB enables scientists to make discoveries about the properties of rare isotopes in order to better understand the physics of nuclei, nuclear astrophysics, fundamental interactions, and applications for society, including in medicine, homeland security, and industry.
The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of today’s most pressing challenges. For more information, visit energy.gov/science.