External news and journal publications discussing FRIB science.
Researchers have reported new experimental results addressing the origin of rare proton-rich isotopes heavier than iron, called p-nuclei. Led by Artemis Tsantiri, then-graduate student at FRIB and current postdoctoral fellow at the University of Regina in Canada, the study presents the first rare isotope beam measurement of proton capture on arsenic-73 to produce selenium-74, providing new constraints on how the lightest p-nucleus is formed and destroyed in the cosmos.
Michigan State University has selected internationally renowned Detroit DJ, producer, and techno innovator Carl Craig as a MSUFCU Arts Power Up artist-in-residence, a program that brings visionary artists to campus to explore the intersections of creativity, research, and technology. Widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in electronic music, Craig will be in residence from mid-January through April 2026, working in close collaboration with researchers at FRIB.
A research team at FRIB is the first ever to observe a beta-delayed neutron emission from fluorine-25, a rare, unstable nuclide. Using the FRIB Decay Station Initiator (FDSi), the team found contradictions in prior experimental findings. The results led to a new line of inquiry into how particles in exotic, unstable isotopes remain bound under extreme conditions.
Researchers at FRIB have achieved a significant milestone in nuclear physics by detecting beta-delayed neutron emission from fluorine-25, an elusive and unstable nuclide. This groundbreaking discovery, made possible through the utilization of the FRIB Decay Station Initiator (FDSi), has unveiled new insights into the behavior of exotic isotopes under extreme conditions.
A research team at FRIB is the first ever to observe a beta-delayed neutron emission from fluorine-25, a rare, unstable nuclide. Using the FRIB Decay Station Initiator (FDSi), the team found contradictions in prior experimental findings. The results led to a new line of inquiry into how particles in exotic, unstable isotopes remain bound under extreme conditions.
Physicists from institutions including FRIB used state-of-the-art ab-initio nuclear theory to show that several neutron-rich magnesium isotopes near neutron number 20 exhibit both normal and deformed shapes at low energy—evidence of shape coexistence and a breakdown of the traditional “magic” shell closure at . The work helps resolve longstanding questions about this region of the nuclear chart and identifies isotopes whose structures can be tested with modern rare-isotope facilities.
Physicists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in collaboration with institutions including the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), have developed a new molecule-based technique that uses the atom’s own electrons as “messengers” to probe its nucleus, bypassing the need for large-scale particle accelerators. In the experiment, electrons bound in a radium-fluoride molecule briefly entered the radium nucleus and returned with subtle shifts in energy that reveal internal nuclear structure. Among the study’s co-authors is Shane Wilkins, who now works at FRIB.
Researchers used collinear laser spectroscopy to make precise measurements of nuclear charge radii across a long series of tin isotopes, revealing how nuclear structure evolves as neutrons are added. The results show clear trends and reveal pronounced odd–even staggering near neutron shell closures, providing important tests for models that describe how protons and neutrons interact inside the nucleus. This type of high-precision nuclear-structure information helps guide experiments at FRIB, where scientists study rare isotopes to better understand the forces that govern nuclear matter.
Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory are uncovering new details about how stars forge heavy elements, using precise nuclear-physics measurements to refine models of stellar nucleosynthesis. Many of the rare-isotope measurements needed to test these models have been performed at FRIB, where researchers can recreate short-lived nuclei involved in these stellar processes.
A team of researchers from institutions including FRIB, Old Dominion University, Jefferson Lab, and Ohio University developed a new computational emulator that uses the reduced-basis method and active-learning algorithms to predict proton-deuteron scattering with high accuracy and far lower computational cost. By enabling rapid exploration of three-nucleon forces, these tools support faster calibration of nuclear-interaction models and open the door to broader applications in nuclear structure and reaction theory.
Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and FRIB are uncovering new details about how stars forge heavy elements, using precise nuclear-physics measurements to refine models of stellar nucleosynthesis. Many of the rare-isotope measurements needed to test these models have been performed at FRIB, where researchers can recreate short-lived nuclei involved in these stellar processes.
Michigan State University conducts several long-term research projects that advance scientific understanding across generations. One example is the Modular Neutron Array (MoNA), a more than 20-year MSU-led collaboration at FRIB that studies the structure of neutron-rich nuclei produced in cosmic events.
