FRIB creates opportunities for advancing basic science breakthroughs and developing applications for a healthier, safer, more sustainable world.
On MSU’s campus, scientists will investigate the makings of atomic nuclei and how the universe formed while helping to drive innovation in medicine, nuclear security, environmental science and more.
MSU’s leadership in nuclear science spans more than five decades. Now, FRIB will provide researchers with the most advanced accelerator technology to conduct next-generation rare-isotope experiments.
At FRIB, the world’s most powerful heavy-ion accelerator propels atoms at half the speed of light, resulting in collisions that produce rare isotopes. Many have never been seen on earth — prime territory for discovery.
The rare isotopes produced only at FRIB will be game changers for the nuclear science community and offer many potential benefits to society. But what exactly is an isotope? MSU scientists Kurt Zinn and Artemis Spyrou explain.
Home to the No. 2 nuclear physics graduate program in the nation, MSU is shaping the next generation of nuclear scientists who will advance the boundaries of knowledge. FRIB will provide unparalleled research opportunities and attract top graduate and undergraduate students in physics and related fields.
“FRIB will become the best place to study rare isotopes. It will open the doorways that we have never seen before.”
- Paul Guèye, associate professor of nuclear physics at FRIB and MSU Department of Physics and Astronomy
Having a scientific user facility at a leading research university will create a ripple effect of benefits for years to come. Over the next two decades, FRIB is anticipated to contribute more than $4 billion to Michigan’s economy, creating skilled jobs for the local workforce, attracting companies and top talent, and developing new technologies and partnerships.
The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams and its activities already are creating many down-to-earth benefits that will only grow after the facility becomes fully operational. Experiments at the facility will generate new knowledge about the makings of atomic nuclei and the origins of the universe as well as new technologies that are yet to be imagined for use in a variety of industries.
The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams at MSU is where the doors to discovery are thrown open. Where nuclear science researchers from around the globe will perform experiments that deepen our understanding of the universe and lead to real-world applications in medicine, industry and homeland security.