External news and journal publications discussing FRIB science.
A new study led by FRIB, with researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, may provide the answer. Published in Nature, the findings offer new insight into the structure of atomic nuclei and could have important implications for astrophysics, nuclear energy, national security, and nuclear forensics.
A long-standing enigma in nuclear physics has puzzled scientists for decades: the phenomenon where certain atomic nuclei emit unexpectedly high quantities of low-energy gamma rays. A new study spearheaded by FRIB in collaboration with researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory sheds light on this mystery. The findings, published in Nature, deliver crucial insights into the structure of atomic nuclei and hold significant implications for fields such as astrophysics, nuclear energy, national security, and nuclear forensics.
A new theoretical study (“Dynamics of density fluctuations in atomic nuclei”) published in Physical Review Letters has identified rapid fluctuations in the density of atomic nuclei, offering a more detailed picture of how protons and neutrons move and interact.
Using advanced computational models, the researchers found that these fluctuations occur across different nuclei and appear to be a universal feature of nuclear dynamics. Unlike the slower changes captured by many existing models, the newly identified behavior arises from complex interactions between pairs of nucleons, providing new insight into the behavior of atomic nuclei and laying the groundwork for future studies of nuclear reactions, fission, and fusion.
The study was led by FRIB Theory Fellow Francesca Bonaiti, visiting assistant professor at FRIB, in collaboration with researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee.
It has been a long-standing mystery in nuclear physics: why do the nuclei of some atoms emit more low-energy gamma rays than they should? The answer can be found in a new study from an international scientific team led by FRIB and including authors from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Published in Nature, the work sheds light on the internal structure of atomic nuclei and has far-reaching implications for national security and astrophysics.
The University of Surrey reports on two studies that provide new experimental insight into nuclear reactions that occur during supernovae and X-ray bursts, helping scientists improve models of stellar explosions and element production. In one study, researchers working at FRIB measured a reaction that powers X-ray bursts with more than tenfold greater precision, clarifying the role of the nickel-copper cycle in shaping X-ray burst light curves.
Tech Times reports on two University of Surrey studies that provide experimental data on nuclear reactions involved in supernovae and X-ray bursts, improving models of stellar explosions and element production. For the X-ray burst study, researchers at FRIB used a beam of copper-59 to study the nickel-copper cycle, reducing uncertainty in a key reaction rate by more than tenfold and providing a clearer picture of how the cycle affects X-ray bursts.
The University of Surrey reports on two studies that provide new experimental insight into nuclear reactions that occur during supernovae and X-ray bursts, helping scientists improve models of stellar explosions and element production. In one study, researchers working at FRIB measured a reaction that powers X-ray bursts with more than tenfold greater precision, clarifying the role of the nickel-copper cycle in shaping X-ray burst light curves.
Nuclear physicists at the University of Surrey have become the first to carry out a scientific experiment using the world's most advanced gamma-ray spectrometer - investigating a sudden change in the shape of the atomic nucleus that could challenge existing theories. The experiment took place at FRIB using the newly delivered and characteriZed Gamma-Ray Energy Tracking Array (GRETA). Led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and delivered by a collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and FRIB, GRETA is a $58 million detector designed to reveal the structure of atomic nuclei in unprecedented detail.
Nuclear physicists at the University of Surrey have become the first to carry out a scientific experiment using the world’s most advanced gamma-ray spectrometer—investigating a sudden change in the shape of the atomic nucleus that could challenge existing theories. The experiment took place at FRIB using the newly delivered and characterized Gamma-Ray Energy Tracking Array (GRETA). Led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and delivered by a collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and FRIB, GRETA is a $58 million detector designed to reveal the structure of atomic nuclei in unprecedented detail.
The experiment took place at FRIB using the newly delivered and characterised Gamma-Ray Energy Tracking Array (GRETA). Led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and delivered by a collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and FRIB, GRETA is a $58 million detector designed to reveal the structure of atomic nuclei in unprecedented detail.
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.
Researchers at FRIB have made significant strides in understanding the source of an unexpected abundance of low-energy gamma rays released by the zinc-70 nucleus. Their groundbreaking study reveals that magnetic transitions occurring within the nucleus are responsible for this puzzling gamma-ray signal, a finding that has been published in Nature under the study titled "Magnetic Character of the Low-Energy Enhancement in 70Zn."
