Breaking News
February 2024
Announcement of Low Energy Community Meeting 2024
This year's Low Energy Community Meeting (LECM) will be held from August 7-9, 2024. We are planning an in-person meeting at the University of Tennessee Knoxville.
Pre-meeting workshops will be held on Wednesday, August 7th, at Strong Hall on the University of Tennessee campus. Working group sessions and plenary sessions will be held on Thursday and Friday (August 8th and 9th) at the UT Conference Center in Knoxville.
As with every Low Energy Community Meeting, there will be the opportunity for Working Groups to meet to discuss progress and future initiatives. If you are a Working Group Convener or have an idea for a new Working Group, and would like to organize a session, please contact Jill Berryman. Similarly, if you would like to organize a Workshop, please let Jill know.
The meeting website can be found here. The website will be updated as more information becomes available, including a program and working group session information. An update email will be sent once the working group sessions are organized, and at that point registration will open. As always, registration is free.
October 2023
Release of 2023 Nuclear Science Advisory Committee Long Range Plan
The 2023 Nuclear Science Advisory Committee Long Range Plan (LRP) has been released. The plan highlights the importance of Low Energy Nuclear Physics research, and underlines the essential role that FRIB plays. To view the full report, please click here
May 2023
2023 FRIB Achievement Award for Early Career Researchers winners announced
The winners of the 2023 FRIB Achievement Award for Early Career Researchers have been announced. This year, the award in the Experiment category goes to Dr. Katharina Domnanich, and the Theory award goes to Dr. Kyle Godbey. The awardees will present their research at the annual Low Energy Community Meeting.
February 2023
Announcement of Low Energy Community Meeting 2023
This year's Low Energy Community Meeting (LECM) will be held from August 9-11, 2023. We are planning an in-person meeting at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams on the campus of Michigan State University.
As with every Low Energy Community Meeting, there will be the opportunity for Working Groups to meet to discuss progress and future initiatives. If you are a Working Group Convener or have an idea for a new Working Group, and would like to organize a session, please contact Jill Berryman. Similarly, if you would like to organize a Workshop, please let Jill know. Depending on the number of working group and workshop sessions, the meeting may be shortened from three days to two days.
The meeting website can be found here. The website will be updated as more information becomes available, including a program and working group session information. An update email will be sent once the working group sessions are organized, and at that point registration will open. As always, registration is free.
Supporting Nuclear Physics Research in the US
We have an opportunity to support nuclear physics research in the US and need your help.
Over the next several weeks, Washington will start the budget and appropriations process for Fiscal Year 2024. In what is expected to be a challenging budget year, we are reaching out to the entire nuclear physics community to ask for your advocacy in support of robust federal funding for nuclear physics. Research leaders at Michigan State, Jefferson Lab, Brookhaven, and others are organizing a day of in-person meetings on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on April 25th and urgently need your participation. For those unable to be in Washington that day, we will organize a follow-up virtual opportunity. Please sign up for either option, per your schedule parameters.
A background briefing will be provided in advance of the April meetings and our team will oversee the scheduling and organizing the meetings with your representatives in Congress. This opportunity is open to past participants and new members alike – faculty and students. We welcome everyone’s participation. Stay tuned for additional details and supporting materials, which we will post on this website.
Please let us know if you can join and support this important federal advocacy effort by registering here.
We appreciate your continued support of this vital effort.
October 2022
FRIB PAC2 Call for Proposals and Webinar
The FRIB PAC2 Call for Proposals is now open. With this call, the community is invited to submit proposals for beam time to be considered at the second meeting of the FRIB Program Advisory Committee scheduled for March 1-3, 2023. All proposals need to be submitted online by 11pm Eastern Standard Time on January 23rd, 2023, to allow for scientific and technical review of the proposals prior to the PAC2 meeting.
More information about the PAC2 call can be found here.
On Monday, December 5th, from 2:30-3:30pm Eastern, FRIB Scientific Director Brad Sherrill and FRIBTA Director Daniel Phillips will host a webinar to provide information on the Call for Proposals for PAC2 and provide an opportunity for scientific users to ask questions. The presentation will include information on:
- FRIB status, highlighting new vaults, new beams, and beam power;
- PAC2 Call for Proposals format, highlighting new sections in the proposal application;
- PAC evaluation criteria;
- ReA standalone program;
- Beam rates for PAC2 proposals; and
- How the FRIBTA can assist experimental colleagues before, during, and after the proposal-writing process.
Please use this link to join the webinar. (Meeting ID: 993 1521 4545 Passcode: 352055)
September 2022
Town Hall Meeting on Nuclear Structure, Reactions and Astrophysics - UPDATED!
Registration is now open for the Town Hall Meeting on Nuclear Structure, Reactions and Astrophysics. The meeting will be hosted in a hybrid format by the Physics Division of Argonne National Laboratory. Information on how to register, accommodations, and transportation can be found at indico.phy.anl.gov/event/22.
We encourage everyone to register early to help the local planning and allow for efficient processing of site access We also encourage everyone to sign-up for updates on the APS Engage platform: engage.aps.org/communities/....
As in previous Town Hall meetings, plenary presentations will take place on the first day, providing a formal kick-off to the meeting. Working Group sessions will take place in the second day, providing a forum for anybody in the field to present their input. Summaries from the Working Groups, resolutions and closeout will take place on the first half of the third day. More information on the Program and Working Group Sessions will be available soon.
Links for submitting contributions to the various Working Group are listed below (this list will be updated as more information is circulated):
Nuclear Structure and Reactions Experiment
Nuclear Structure and Reactions Theory
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
Accelerator Science, Applications and Broader Impacts
Computing (HPC, quantum computing and AI/ML)
Facilities, Instruments, and Upgrades
Experimental Nuclear Astrophysics
July 2022
FRIBUOEC Membership Change
As of July 29, 2022, FRIBUOEC general member Zach Meisel is stepping down. Anthony Kuchera has been appointed by the remaining FRIBUOEC members to serve out the balance of the vacant term, through December 2022.
May 2022
2022 FRIB Achievement Award for Early Career Researchers winners announced
The winners of the 2022 FRIB Achievement Award for Early Career Researchers have been announced. This year, the award in the Experiment category goes to Dr. Jaspreet Randhawa, and the Theory award goes to Dr. Amy Lovell. The awardees will present their research at the annual Low Energy Community Meeting.
FRIB Ribbon-cutting Ceremony
The official FRIB ribbon cutting ceremony was held on Monday, May 2nd, 2022. The FRIB website has more information. A statement by FRIBUOEC Chair Kelly Chipps, presented during the day's events, can be found here.
April 2022
FRIB Communications Preferences Survey
As FRIB operations ramp up, informing users is key. To facilitate this, a survey by the FRIBUOEC to better understand the needs and preferences of users with regard to communications from the FRIB Laboratory will take place shortly. Each individual user will receive an email with a unique link to participate in the survey. Survey responses are anonymous. The survey will remain open from April 4th to April 25th, 2022.
The survey email will be sent from Qualtrics, so be sure to watch your inbox. Contact FRIBUOEC Chair Kelly Chipps with any questions.
March 2022
Announcement of Low Energy Community Meeting 2022
This year's annual Low Energy Community Meeting (LECM) will be held from August 8-10, 2022. At this time, we are cautiously planning for an in-person meeting at Argonne National Laboratory, at the TCS Conference Center. We will continue to monitor restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and will communicate any changes.
As with every Low Energy Community Meeting, there will be the opportunity for Working Groups to meet to discuss progress and future initiatives. If you are a Working Group Convener or have an idea for a new Working Group, and would like to organize a session, please contact Jill Berryman. Similarly, if you would like to organize a Workshop, please let Jill know. Depending on the number of working group and workshop sessions, the meeting may be shortened from three days to two days.
A limited set of information can be found on the meeting website. The website will be updated as more information becomes available, including a program and working group session information. An update email will be sent once the working group sessions are organized, and at that point registration will open. As always, registration is free.
January 2022
FRIB Achievement Award Nominations Open
The call for nominations for the 2022 FRIB Achievement Award for Early Career Researchers is now open. A nomination form can be found here. Nominations require the submission of the nomination form as well as a complete nomination package, emailed to FRIBUOEC Chair Kelly Chipps and/or FRIBUOEC Secretary Melina Avila. The nomination deadline has been extended to 8pm EDT on March 15th, 2022. More details about the award, including eligibility information, selection criteria, and required nomination materials, can be found here.
Results of FRIBUOEC Election
The 2021 election for the new FRIB Users Organization Executive Committee members, beginning their terms in January 2022, is now complete. The newly elected members are Ritu Kanungo, St Mary's, and Vandana Tripathi, FSU, as General members, and Andrew Ratkiewicz, LLNL, as the Operations Subcommittee member. We thank departing members Dan Bardayan, Romauldo deSouza, and Steve Yates for their terms of service. Thank you!
Kelly Chipps has been elected Chair for 2022, and Melina Avila has been elected Secretary.
In addition, the proposed amendments to the FRIB Users Organization Charter were overwhelmingly approved. The new Charter can be found here.
December 2021
Proposed FRIBUO Charter Updates
Updates to the FRIB Users Organization Charter, to address the completion of FRIB construction and the beginning of FRIB operations, can be found here. Users will be able to vote on the proposed changes in the December 2021 FRIBUOEC elections, so check your email. PLEASE NOTE that the FRIBUOEC election and charter amendment ballot will arrive from Qualtrics.
August 2021
FRIB PAC 1 Results Announced
The results of the first FRIB PAC have been announced. Approved experiments can be found here. Proposal spokespersons should receive comments from the PAC soon.
2021 Low Energy Community Meeting Concluded
The 2021 Low Energy Community Meeting was held virtually August 9-11, 2021. Slides from the plenary sessions and programs from the Working Groups can be found a the LECM event page, and a summary of the event can be found here.
2021 Inaugural FRIB Achievement Award for Early Career Researchers
The winners of the inaugural FRIB Achievement Award for Early Career Researchers have been announced. Congratulations to Dr. Jack Bishop and Dr. Wei Jia Ong, co-winners of the 2021 Award in Experiment, and Dr. Christian Drischler, winner of the 2021 Award in Theory.
Nominations for the 2022 award will be due in early spring, so watch for an email!
March 2021
FRIB PAC 1 Proposal Submission Conclusion
The first call for proposals for FRIB's first Program Advisory Committee (PAC1) has closed. 82 proposals requesting 9,784 hours of beam time and 6 letters of intent were submitted.
Proposals span FRIB's four science areas and maximize FRIB's capabilities. Specifically, they:
- Cover 16 of the 17 National Academies benchmarks for FRIB
- Request fast, stopped, and reaccelerated rare-isotope beams
- Use all FRIB experimental areas offered in PAC1
- Use all major FRIB instruments
- Represent 597 individual scientists from 130 institutions in 30 countries and 26 US states.
Thank you to everyone who responded to the FRIB PAC1 call for proposals. This response from the FRIB user community bodes well for an impactful science program starting in early 2022.
If you received a Beam Rate Estimate survey request, please respond by Friday, March 5th, at 5pm EST.
February 2021
2021 Low Energy Community Meeting Announced
This year's annual Low Energy Community Meeting (LECM) will be held from August 9-11, 2021. At this time, we are planning for a virtual meeting. If the COVID-19 situation becomes significantly better in the next few months, then the organizing committee may decide to offer an in-person option, while keeping the virtual option available as well. In this case, the meeting would be held at Argonne National Laboratory.
As with every Low Energy Community Meeting, there will be opportunity for Working Groups to meet to discuss progress and future initiatives. If you are a Working Group Convener or have an idea for a new Working Group, and would like to organize a session, please contact Jill Berryman. Similarly, if you would like to organize a Workshop, please let Jill know.
A limited set of information can be found on the meeting website. The website will be updated as more information is available, including a program and working group session information. A notification will be made once the Working Group sessions are organized, and at that point registration will open. As always, registration is free.
January 2021
Election for FRIB Users Organization Executive Committee Complete
The election for the new Executive Committee members beginning their terms January 2021 is now complete. The elected members are:
- Kyle Brown, Michigan State University [Ops subcommittee];
- Augusto Macchiavelli, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory;
- Ragnar Stroberg, University of Washington [Theory representative]
Additionally, Zach Meisel (Ohio University) has been elected Chair of the FRIBUOEC, and Kelly Chipps (ORNL) has been elected Secretary.
We thank departing members Heather Crawford (LBNL), Andrew Rogers (University of Massachusetts Lowell) and Alexander Volya (Florida State University) for their terms of service. Thank you!
January 2020
Election for FRIB Users Organization Executive Committee Complete
The election for the new Executive Committee members beginning their terms January 2020 is now complete. The elected members are:
- Melina Avila, Argonne National Laboratory;
- Kelly Chipps, Oak Ridge National Laboratory [Ops subcommittee] (re-elected);
- Zach Meisel, Ohio University
We thank departing members Carl Brune (Ohio University) and Catherine Deibel (Louisiana State University) for their terms of service. Thank you!
October 2019
Director Update for Users Webinar
NSCL Director Brad Sherrill gave an update on NSCL operations, and discussed the upcoming special Call for Proposals for experiments using stable and long-lived beams delivered by ReA3 and ReA6. The video recording of the webinar is embedded below. Alternatively, the slides that were presented are avilable here.
August 2019
FRIB400 Energy Upgrade Whitepaper Released
We are now within sight of first FRIB operations for a user program, opening a new era for science with rare isotope beams. FRIB will provide unprecedented rates of the most exotic isotopes and isotopes of interest to astrophysics and studies of fundamental symmetries. As we prepare for science, members of the FRIB Users Organization have written a whitepaper that describes a tremendous opportunity to extend the scientific reach of FRIB by upgrading the linear accelerator to deliver at least 400 MeV/u for all beams (FRIB400).
The FRIB 400 whitepaper outlines the broad science case for FRIB400. It is timely given the multi-messenger observations associated with the merger of two neutron stars. This event highlighted the importance of the equation of state of neutron-rich matter at high density and the role very neutron-rich nuclei play in the r-process.
We believe you will find FRIB400 is a unique opportunity to push further the frontiers of nuclear science and would be happy to get your feedback on this opportunity.
May 2019
2019 Low Energy Community Meeting at Duke University
Registration is now OPEN for this year's Low Energy Community Meeting (LECM), which will be hosted by Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory (TUNL) and held on the campus of Duke University in Durham, NC from August 7-9, 2019.
A program is now available on the conference website, inclding the scheduled Working Group Sessions. The program begins with an evevening Welcome dinner and reception on Wednesday August 7. The main program for the LECM ends at noon on Friday, August 9. On the afternoon of Friday August 9 will be the opportunity for a campus tour as well as 3 satellite workshops.
We look forward to seeing you in Durham!
February 2019
Announcement: 2019 Low Energy Community Meeting to be held at Duke University
Save the date! The 2019 Low Energy Community Meeting will be held August 8-9, 2019 at Duke University. The 2019 meeting is hosted by Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory (TUNL). More information, including a program and registration information will follow.January 2019
Election for FRIB Users Organization Executive Committee Complete!
The election for the new Executive Committee members beginning their terms January 2019 is now complete. The elected members are:
- Dan Bardayan, University of Notre Dame (re-elected);
- Romualdo deSouza, Indiana University [Ops subcommittee];
- Steve Yates, University of Kentucky
As they rotate off, we thank departing members Calem Hoffman (ANL) and Grigory Rogachev (Texas A&M University) for their years of servce. Thank you!
December 2018
First NSCL Director's Webinar Held
The first NSCL Director Update for Users Webinar was held December 10, 2018, during which NSCL Director, Brad Sherrill gave an update on NSCL operations, the current status of ReA6 and experimental area planning and the transition to FRIB, as well as answering questions. The video is embedded below.
August 2018
Low Energy Community Meeting 2018 Complete
There were 260 participants at this year’s Low Energy Community Meeting, which was held 10-11 August here at FRIB/NSCL, following the Nuclear Structure 2018 conference. The annual meeting serves as an opportunity for nuclear scientists in the low-energy nuclear physics community to interact and discuss future plans, initiatives, and facilities. The program consisted of plenary sessions and thirteen working group sessions. The FRIB Theory Alliance held a meeting during two of the working group sessions. There were two workshops: “Science with a 400 MeV/u FRIB Upgrade” and “ATLAS Long Range Planning Meeting”. The program with links to the talks can be found on the meeting website (https://indico.fnal.gov/event/15548/page/2).
At the end ot the meeting, brief summaries of the working group sessions were presented, and the following resolutions were accepted unanimously:
- FRIB remains our top priority. The community is impressed by the progress in construction and eagerly anticipates the completion of FRIB and the forefront science this facility will enable.
- We strongly endorse the vision expressed in the draft ATLAS Strategic Plan for the future of the ATLAS facility and the proposed development of accelerator- and equipment-related initiatives that will enhance the scientific reach and efficient utilization of the ATLAS facility. These initiatives include the upgrade of ATLAS to provide multi-user capabilities which should be supported at a sufficient staffing level for its efficient operation.
- The ARUNA facilities are a central part of the low-energy science program and their continued operation is crucial. The community strongly supports the funding of these facilities and the associated research.
- The FRIB Theory Alliance is an essential component of our field. The bridge faculty and theory fellowship positions at universities and national laboratories help to grow capability in this important aspect of our community. We strongly endorse continued support of the FRIB-TA, its programs, and investment in computational theory and related astrophysics.
- The community endorses the prompt initiation and timely completion of the High Rigidity Spectrometer (HRS) construction project, an essential instrument for fast-beam experiments at FRIB.
- We strongly support pursuit of the 400 MeV/u energy upgrade of FRIB. It will open new scientific opportunities and is timely given the recent neutron-star merger observation.
March 2018
17th Exotic Beam Summer School EBSS2018, to be held at LBNL June 24-30, 2018
The seventeenth Exotic Beam Summer School (EBSS2018) will be held at the Nuclear Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, from 24-30 June, 2018 (opening reception on the evening of June 24th). The aim of the school is to educate young researchers on the excitement and challenges of rare isotope beam science. Through these schools, the research community will be able to more fully exploit the opportunities created by the next-generation exotic beam facilities, such as the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) in the U.S.
A unique feature of this summer school series is the hands-on activities where students spend their afternoons in the laboratory, learning about the techniques and instrumentation needed to carry out experiments with radioactive beams. Among the hands-on activities that students will be involved in for EBSS2018 are measurement with FIONA, gamma-ray tracking detectors, the VENUS/AECR ion sources, and the UCB Neutron Generator. In the mornings, lectures on a variety of topics (experimental, theoretical and applied) will be given by expert speakers. A more detailed program will be posted on the school web site.
EBSS 2018 is supported by DOE, NSF, and the following laboratories: ANL, LBNL, LLNL, ORNL, NSCL/MSU and ARUNA. The school, held annually, rotates among the various laboratories and is specifically designed for graduate students and postdocs (within 2 years of the PhD degree).
The deadline for receipt of a completed application, including a letter of support from the student's advisor/supervisor and a paragraph explaining what the applicant hopes to achieve through attending EBSS2018 is March 31, 2018. The application and letter of support submission forms can be found on the school website. Lodging and board expenses for the participants will be covered by the school.
To apply for EBSS2018, please visit the school website: https://sites.google.com/lbl.gov/ebss2018.
EBSS Board of Directors: Jacklyn Gates (LBNL, local organizer of EBSS2018), Christopher Wrede (NSCL/MSU), Kelly Chipps (ORNL), Dariusz Seweryniak (ANL), Nicholas Scielzo (LLNL), Ingo Weidenhoever (FSU/ARUNA)
Announcement: Low Energy Community Meeting 2018
This year’s annual Low-Energy Community Meeting will be held on Friday/Saturday August 10-11, 2018, at NSCL/FRIB, immediately following the Nuclear Structure 2018 conference. The LECM will begin with a joint session with NS2018 on Friday morning, August 10, and will end just after noon on Saturday August 11. On Thursday evening (August 9), there will be the opportunity to hold workshops and collaboration meetings. There is currently a workshop on “Science with a 400 MeV/u FRIB Upgrade” planned for Thursday evening, and the “ATLAS Long Range Planning Meeting” scheduled for Friday evening.
The organizing committee has outlined a program, which is available at the meeting website (https://indico.fnal.gov/event/15548). Registration is now open.
January 2018
Election for FRIB Users Organization Executive Committee Complete!
The election for the new Executive Committee members beginning their terms January 2018 is now complete. The elected members are:
- Heather Crawford, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory;
- Andrew Rogers, University of Massachusetts Lowell [Operations Subcommittee]; and
- Alexander Volya, Florida State University [Theory Representative]
Heather Crawford (LBNL) has been re-elected as chair. As they rotate off, we thank departing members Filomena Nunes (MSU/NSCL) and Lee Sobotka (Washington University in St. Louis) for their years of servce. Thank you!
January 2017
Exotic Beam Summer School EBSS2017, to be held at ANL July 23-29, 2017
The 2017 Exotic Beam Summer School (EBSS) will be held at the Physics Division, Argonne National Laboratory, from Sunday July 23 through Saturday July 29, 2017. Please pass on this announcement to interested students and young researchers. As in previous years, the number of attendees will be limited to around 40-45 participants who will be selected from the pool of applicants. The school is intended for graduate students, but senior undergraduates and junior postdoctoral researchers will also be considered.
This will be sixteenth in the series of annual summer schools devoted to the exciting developments in the study of exotic nuclei. The school is jointly organized by ANL, LBNL, LLNL, NSCL/MSU, ORNL and ARUNA. Development of the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) continues apace and FRIB, along with other existing and planned exotic beam facilities around the world, will present wonderful opportunities for future discoveries and technical innovations. The school is intended to introduce students and young researchers to the various facets of the science of exotic nuclei including nuclear structure, nuclear reactions, nuclear astrophysics, fundamental interactions and the application of nuclear science and technology in the modern world.
The format of the school is unique; in the morning, students will participate in lectures by leading researchers in the various fields of nuclear physics. In the afternoons, there will be hands-on activities, geared towards introducing fundamental techniques and methods in the production, detection, and investigation of exotic nuclei. The ATLAS facility will provide an excellent opportunity for hands-on experience to the school participants. More details will be available at http://www.phy.anl.gov/ebss2017. The call for applications will be made soon.
EBSS Board of Directors: Jacklyn Gates (LBNL), Hiro Iwasaki (NSCL/MSU), Krzysztof Rykaczewski (ORNL), Dariusz Seweryniak (ANL, local organizer of EBSS2017), Mark Stoyer (LLNL), Ingo Weidenhoever (FSU/ARUNA)
Election for FRIB Users Organization Executive Committee Complete!
The election for the new Executive Committee members beginning their terms January 2017 has been completed. The new members are:
- Carl Brune, Ohio University;
- Kelly Chipps, Oak Ridge National Laboratory [Operations Subcommittee]; and
- Catherine Deibel, Louisiana State University
Heather Crawford (LBNL) will remain as chair, while Calem Hoffman (ANL) will take on the role of Secretary. As they rotate off, let's thank departing members for their three years of service: Robert Grzywacz (ORNL), Mark Riley (FSU) and Artemis Spyrou (MSU/NSCL). Thank you!
December 2016
FRIB Visiting Scholar Award for Experimental Science
The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) and the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) invite applications for the FRIB Visiting Scholar Program for Experimental Science 2017. The program was started to encourage and help junior researchers to establish a research program at FRIB/NSCL. The Award supports short term stays at FRIB/NSCL for junior/non-tenured faculty or staff members. The award consists of a stipend of $5000 intended for travel and local expenses. A typical stay would be for one to two months during which the Scholar is expected to focus on currend and/or future experiments at FRIB/NSCL. Each year up to two awards will be made.
Interested individuals shouls send a CV and a 1-2 page description of the research program and specific goals of the stay to:
Professor Michael Thoennessen 640 S. Shaw Lane FRIB/NSCL, Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48824OR email the documents to thoennessen@frib.msu.edu.
The deadline for the applications is January 31, 2017.
September 2016
Resources now available to FRIB Users
The FRIB project and users group are now making available to members of the FRIB Users Organization a set of resources about FRIB. Any users giving talks, attending meetings, or who just want to spread the word about FRIB can find more details at our FRIB resources page, or at the main FRIB site.
March 2016
Low Energy Community Meeting to be held at University of Notre Dame in August 2016
This year's Low Energy Community Meeting will be held August 11-13, 2016 on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. Pre-workshops, including a Nuclear Data workshop will begin August 10. For those who cannot attend, there will be a webcast available. Please visit the website or our Gatherings page for updated information.
February 2016
Exotic Beam Summer School EBSS2016 -- Applications Now Open!
The 2016 Exotic Beam Summer School (EBSS) will be held on the campus of Michigan State University, and the NSCL from July 17 - July 24, 2016. The aim of this annual school is to introduce students and young researchers to the various facets of the science of exotic nuclei including nuclear structure, nuclear astrophysics, fundamental interactions, and the application of nuclear science and technology. Through these schools, the research community will be able to more fully exploit the opportunities created by the next generation exotic beam facilities, such as the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). The format of this school is unique: in the mornings, students will receive lectures from leading researchers in the field of nuclear physics with exotic beams. Lectures will be focused on theoretical, experimental, technical and applied topics. In the afternoons, the students participate in hands-on activities, learning about the techniques and instrumentation needed to carry out experiments with exotic beams. Applications for this year's summer school, EBSS2016 are open now!
January 2016
Election for FRIB User Organization Executive Committee Completed
The election of new Executive Committee members has been completed. The new members are:
- Dan Bardayan, University of Notre Dame;
- Grigory Rogachev, Texas A&M University; and
- Calem Hoffman, Argonne National Lab [Operations Subcommittee]
The new chair of the FRIBUO is Heather Crawford (LBNL). As they rotate off, let's thank our departing members for their three years of service: Jolie Cizewski [Rutgers University], Michael Carpenter (Operations Subcommittee) [Argonne National Lab], and Michael Smith (Chair) [Oak Ridge National Lab]. Thank you!!
October 2015
Release of 2015 Nuclear Science Advisory Committee Long Range Plan
The 2015 Nuclear Science Advisory Committee Long Range Plan (LRP) was released, and includes significant descriptions of the importance of FRIB and FRIB science. In particular, the First Recommendation of the LRP states that "The progress achieved under the guidance of the 2007 Long Range Plan has reinforced U.S. world leadership in nuclear science. The highest priority in this 2015 Plan is to capitalize on the investments made... Expeditiously completing the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) construction is essential. Initiating its scientific program will revolutionize our understanding of nuclei and their role in the cosmos." To view the full report, please click here.
August 2015
Low Energy Community Meeting to be held at MSU in August 2015
This year's Low Energy Community Meeting will be held on August 21-22, 2015 at Michigan State University. Pre-workshops will begin on August 20. There will also be a webcast for those who cannot attend. Please visit our Gatherings page for updated information.
March 2015
FRIBUO Visit to Capitol Hill
There will be a visit of a number of FRIB, JLAB, and RHIC users to Capitol Hill on March 23, 2015. The users will update Congressmen, Senators, and their staffers on the importance of funding a robust program in nuclear science in the U.S., as well as on updates of the progress at each of the major facilities. Copies of the briefing package will be posted on this website when they are available later in March.
FRIB Scientific Advisory Committee meets on FRIB experimental equipment
The FRIB Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) met on March 2-3, 2015 to discuss the status of plans for experimental equipment at FRIB and on plans for reaccelerated beams and possible future upgrades. The committee is comprised of David Dean (ORNL, Chair), Ani Aprahamian (Notre Dame), Rolf Ent (JLab), Katherine Grzywacz-Jones (Univ. of Tennessee), Robert Janssens (ANL), Augusto Macchiavelli (LBNL), Gail McLaughlin (North Carolina State Univ.), Witek Nazarewicz (Michigan State Univ.), and Michael Smith (ORNL, Ex-Officio representing the FRIB Users Organization). Thomas Glassmacher gave the SAC an update on the status of FRIB, Michael Smith gave a presentation on the current status of plans for various experimental systems proposed for FRIB, and Alexandra Gade described current plans and the physics reach of reaccelerated beams and possible future upgrade paths. The recommendations of the SAC on the status and priority of the different projects will be sent to the new Director of the FRIB Laboratory, Thomas Glasmacher.
February 2015
Update of white paper on FRIB experimental equipment
Conveners of the Working Groups have updated their plans on experimental equipment for FRIB. These updates have been folded into a new version of the White Paper on FRIB Experimental Equipment and into a new version of the presentation on FRIB Experimental Equipment. Please see these documents for the latest information on the Working Group plans for experimental equipment needed for the exciting science programs at FRIB.
Exotic Beam Summer School EBSS2015 announced
The 2015 Exotic Beam Summer School (EBSS) was held on the campus of Florida State University from August 2nd to August 7th, 2015. The EBSS is intended to introduce students and young researchers to the various facets of the science of exotic nuclei including nuclear structure, nuclear astrophysics, fundamental interactions, and the application of nuclear science and technology in the modern world. The school is intended for graduate students, but senior undergraduates and junior post-docs will also be considered. As in previous years, approximately 40 participants were selected from nearly 100 applicants. Priority was given for students coming from US universities and laboratories. EBSS 2015 was organized by ARUNA, the Association for Research at University Nuclear Accelerators, in collaboration with the national laboratories ANL (Argonne, IL), LBNL (Berkeley, CA), NSCL and FRIB (Lansing, MI), LLNL (Livermore, CA) and ORNL (Oak Ridge, TN). This was the first time for a member of the ARUNA association to host the meeting. ARUNA consists of the nuclear accelerator laboratories at Florida State University, Ohio University, Texas A&M University, Kentucky University, University of Notre Dame, University of Washington, and from Triangle University Nuclear Laboratory. ARUNA has joined the EBSS organizing board in 2014. EBSS 2015 was the fourteenth in the series of annual summer schools aimed to improve the skills of future work force in fields related to nuclear science. The location of EBSS rotates between the institutions of the organizing board.
December 2014
Election for FRIB User Organization Executive Committee Completed
The election of new Executive Committee members has been completed. The new members are:
- Lee Sobotka, Washington Univ. St. Louis;
- Heather Crawford, Ohio University [Operations Subcommittee]; and
- Filomena Nunes, Michigan State University [Theory Representative].
They will serve from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2017. As they rotate off, let's thank our departing members for their three years of service: Walter Loveland [Oregon State University], Krzysztof Rykaczewski (Operations Subcommittee) [Oak Ridge National Laboratory], and Ian Thompson (Theory Representative) [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory].
August 2014
FRIB Critical Decision CD-3B Approved
On 27 August 2014, Dr. Patricia Dehmer, the DOE Office of Science Acquisition Executive for FRIB, approved Critical Decision CD-3B: Start of Construction of the Accelerator and Experimental Systems for the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) Project. This crucial approval keeps FRIB on track for completion in the next six years, when it will provide intense beams of thousands of rare isotopes for world-leading science carried out by our User community.
Draft of FRIB Experimental Equipment Whitepaper now available
A draft of FRIB Experimental Equipment Whitepaper is now available, please click here to download the current draft. White papers of white papers of a number of the individual proposed experimental systems are also available: the High Rigidity Spectrometer (HRS) whitepaper, the Isochronous Spectrometer with Large Acceptance (ISLA) whitepaper, the Gamma Ray Energy Tracking Array (GRETA) whitepaper, and the ReA12 upgrade whitepaper.
Presentation on proposed new FRIB Experimental Equipment
A presentation on proposed new FRIB Experimental Equipment was given at the APS DNP Joint Town Meeting on Nuclear Structure and Nuclear Astrophysics at TAMU on 8/21. Please click here to download the presentation.
July 2014
DNP Joint Town Meetings on Nuclear Structure and Nuclear Astrophysics TAMU 8/21-8/23
On Thursday 8/21 - Saturday 8/23, the Joint Town Meetings for Low Energy Nuclear Physics and Nuclear Astrophysics will be held at Texas A&M. These will provide input for the next Long Range Plan (LRP) being developed by the Nuclear Science Advisory Committee (NSAC) at the request of the DOE Office of Science and the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Division of the NSF. Some groups wish to meet a day prior (Wednesday) or after the Town Meetings (Saturday afternoon). Groups interested in a "pre/post meeting" are encouraged to contact Sherry Yennello as soon as possible.
It is critical that FRIB science be well represented at this town meeting. In the working group sessions, members of the community typically make short presentations on research that they feel is important for the future of the field. The working group convenors then write up a summary of their group, and this is folded into the summary of the Town Meeting, which is given to the LRP Writing Committee (sometime in Fall 2014). In almost all of the working groups, there is some overlap with FRIB-related science, and members of the User Organization should give short presentations so that the diversity and excitement of FRIB science will have a prominent place in the working group summaries.
To get a short presentation in a working group, contact the convenors listed below.
Nuclear Astrophysics working groups:
- Nuclear Theory in Nuclear Astrophysics (McLaughlin, Reddy, Escher)
- Radioactive beams, explosive nucleosynthesis (Rehm, Zegers, Bardayan, Blackmon)
- Stable and gamma beams, stars, stellar burning, Big Bang, Sun (Champagne, Brune, Rogachev)
- Neutron beams, s-process, NIF (Couture, Bernstein)
- Data for Nuclear Astrophysics (Meyer, Smith)
- Astrophysics theory and computing (Timmes, Arcones)
- Supernova models, merger models, and chemical evolution (Hix, O'Shea)
- Neutron stars (Lynch, Steiner)
- Neutrinos in Nuclear Astrophysics (TBD,TBD)
Low Energy Nuclear Science working groups:
- Theory for Low-Energy Nuclear Science (Joe Carlson, TBD, Charlotte Elster, Sanjay Reddy)
- Nuclear Structure and Reactions - Experiment (Doug Higinbotham, Michael Carpenter, Paul Fallon, Alexandra Gade, Kate Jones, Alan Wuosmaa)
- Nature of Dilute and Dense Nuclear Matter and the Equation of State (Chuck Horowitz, Joe Natowitz, Lee Sobotka, Betty Tsang, )
- Facilities and Instrumentation (Carl Gross, Calvin Howell, Augusto Macchiavelli, Guy Savard, Brad Sherrill, Ingo Wiedenhoever)
- Applications and Nuclear Data (Mark Stoyer, Susan Lapi, Kai Vetter, Libby McCutchen, Filip Kondev)
- The case for relevance of Low-Energy Nuclear Science (TBD)
- Education (TBD)
Here is the second announcement of the meeting:
Dear Members of the Low Energy Nuclear Physics and Nuclear Astrophysics Community:
Registration is now open for the joint Town Meetings for Low Energy Nuclear Physics and Nuclear Astrophysics to be held at Texas A&M from Thursday 8/21 - Saturday 8/23. Registration details along with Working Group information plus hotel accommodations can be found at the meeting website http://www.lecmeeting.org/. With the aim of maximizing exchange and mutual participation we will start with a set of plenary talks relevant to both groups. Afterwards a number of parallel working groups arranged by each meeting will address the various topics of interest for each field. On Saturday we will meet again jointly to discuss outcomes and resolutions that both town meetings will put forward as input into the Long Range Plan. White Papers from each group reflecting the vision, future goals and objectives, needs, and priorities of each field will be forthcoming along with a joint summary outlining the strength, synergies, and collective needs of both fields. We have a strong history of coming together, answering the questions posed to us in the LRP Charge Letter and making compelling arguments for our science.
Once again we need your active participation in this most important endeavor.
Sincerely,
Hendrik Schatz (Michigan State University, schatz@nscl.msu.edu)
Michael Wiescher (University of Notre Dame, Michael.C.Wiescher.1@nd.edu)
Conveners, Nuclear Astrophysics and
Charlotte Elster (Ohio University, elster@ohio.edu)
Mark Riley (Florida State University, mriley@phy.fsu.edu)
Conveners, Low Energy Nuclear Physics
March 2014
FRIB Groundbreaking Celebration
On Monday, March 17, 2014, the FRIB Groundbreaking Celebration was held in an outside tent onsite at the facility. Braving freezing temperatures, a large crowd and over a dozen media representatives gathered to listen to six members of Congress, two Senators, three Michigan representatives, and Department of Energy representatives discuss the discovery potential of the facility, the hard work needed to bring the project to this stage, and the impact on jobs and education that FRIB will have on the state and the nation. Some of the numbers mentioned in the speeches included adding $1 billion to the Michigan economy, creating up to 5500 high tech and construction jobs, attracting more than 800 visiting scientists through the facility, and generating $187 million in new state tax revenues. In the current fiscal year, $55M has been approved for FRIB construction, and the proposed Presidential FY2015 budget would increase that allocation to $90M. The picture below shows the ceremonial ground breaking which officially begins the construction phase for FRIB.
February 2014
Exotic Beam Summer School 2014 at ORNL
The next Exotic Beam Summer School will be held from July 27 - Aug. 1, 2014 at Oak Ridge National Lab in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. This will be the thirteenth in the series of annual summer schools devoted to the exciting developments in the study of exotic nuclei. The school is jointly organized by ANL, LBNL, LLNL, MSU, ORNL, and ARUNA. Development of the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) continues and, along with other existing and planned exotic beam facilities around the world, will present wonderful opportunities for future discoveries and technical innovations. The school will introduce students and young researchers to the various facets of the science of exotic nuclei including nuclear structure, nuclear astrophysics, fundamental interactions, and the application of nuclear science and technology in the modern world.
FRIB Civil Construction Officially Approved to Begin
A milestone has been reached for FRIB: the official notification that civil construction can now begin. In the current Fiscal Year, $55 million budget has just been approved to support construction. More details can be found in the latest FRIB Update Newsletter. The Newsletter also describes progress towards the launch of technical construction -- anticipated to begin in Fall 2014 -- as well as the first radioactive beam experiments with the ReA3 system. These are all extremely positive developments for our future flagship facility!
Low Energy Community Meeting to be held at TAMU
The 2014 Low-Energy Community Meeting will be held August 21-23, 2014 at the Mitchell Institute on the Campus of Texas A&M University. The meeting will begin on August 21 and finish by noon on Saturday August 23. This meeting will follow the format and spirit of the past Community Meetings held at Argonne National Laboratory in 2012 and Michigan State University in 2013. Preliminary information about the meeting can be found at www.lecmeeting.org; more details will be available soon.
January 2014
Election Results for Executive Committee
Thank you for your votes! The election results are in, and the new members of the FRIB User Organization Executive Committee are:
- Robert Grzywacz, University of Tennessee
- Mark Riley, Florida State University [Operations Subcommittee]
- Artemis Spyrou, Michigan State University
This will be an exciting time to serve, as ReA3 begins operations with radioactive beams and FRIB gets close to the official start of construction.
As they rotate off, let's thank our departing members for their three years of service: Paul Fallon [LBNL], Alexandra Gade [MSU], Guy Savard [ANL], and Alan Wuosmaa [WMU].
August 2013
Approval of CD-2 and CD-3a for FRIB
Dear Member of the FRIB User Organization:
The Department of Energy has released the following statement:
"On August 1, 2013, the Department of Energy's Office of Science approved Critical Decision-2 (CD-2), Approve Performance Baseline, and Critical Decision-3a (CD-3a), Approve Start of Civil Construction and Long Lead Procurements, for the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) construction project, which will be located at Michigan State University.
As with other DOE Office of Science construction projects, CD-2 formally establishes the cost and schedule for the FRIB project. The Total Project Cost for FRIB is $730M, of which $635.5M will be provided by DOE and $94.5M will be provided by Michigan State University. The project will be completed by 2022.
The CD-3a decision allows the project to proceed with long lead procurements. Commencement of the start of civil construction is subject to a Fiscal Year 2014 appropriation. When completed, FRIB will provide access to completely uncharted territory at the limits of nuclear stability, revolutionizing our understanding of the structure of nuclei as well as the origin of the elements and related astrophysical processes."
This is great news for our community. Thanks to all the FRIB Users Organization members for helping the project to reach this important milestone. Now, as FRIB has a defined completion date in June 2022 and as the FRIB Project works to early completion in December 2020, we need to continue to work together to help the Project secure the needed funding and, most importantly for the FRIB Users Organization, to prepare the science program for FRIB.
Sincerely,
Brad Sherrill
FRIB Chief Scientist
May 2013
Topic Workshop on Physics and Experiments with a recoil separator at ReA12, August 21-22, 2013 at MSU
This workshop will precede the Third Annual Low-Energy Community Meeting that will be held on August 23-24, 2013 at Michigan State University. The first day of the workshop will be dedicated to a discussion of the most promising physics and associated experiments that will determine the essential capabilities of the recoil separator. The second day will be devoted to discussion of the various separator options and how each can address the various requirements of the high priority research programs. The overall workshop goal is to identify and recommend an optimal solution for a proposed spectrometer.
April 2013
Low Energy Community Meeting set for August 23-24, 2013 at MSU
The third annual Low-Energy Community Meeting will be held on August 23-24, 2013 at Michigan State University. The community meeting program will begin on Friday morning and continue until noon on Saturday 24 August.
March 2013
Exotic Beam Summer School 2013 to be held at LBNL on July 28 - August 4, 2013
This year's Exotic Beam Summer School (EBSS) will be held at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, July 28 - August 4, 2013. Please pass on this notice to interested students and young researchers. As in previous years, the number of places will be limited to around forty participants who will be selected from the pool of applicants. The school is intended for graduate students, but senior undergraduates and junior post-docs will also be considered.
December 2012
FRIB User Organization Executive Committee election completed
The election for three new members of the FRIB User Organization Executive Committee has been completed. Michael Smith [ORNL] and Jolie Cizewski [Rutgers] were elected to three-year terms as "General" members, and Mike Carpenter [ANL] was elected to a three-year term as a member of the standing "Operations Subcommittee". These new positions will begin on Jan. 1, 2013. Congratulations to our new members! Also, our sincere thanks to members Ani Aprahamian [Notre Dame], Ingo Wiedenhoever [Florida State Univ.], and Michael Famiano [Western Michigan Univ.] who have completed their service to the Executive Committee. Thanks for your efforts to make FRIB a reality!
November 2012
FRIB Support Letter completed and sent to NSAC Subcommittee
Thanks to all our members who electronically signed an FRIB letter of support to the NSAC Long Range Plan Implementation Subcommittee. The Subcommittee will meet at the end of November and this letter will show the commitment of the Low Energy Nuclear Physics community to the exciting science planned for FRIB. You can see the signed letter here. Members are also encouraged to visit the NSAC Subcommittee website and submit a thoughtful comment in support of FRIB.
Support Letter delivered to NSF and OSTP
Thanks to all our members who electronically signed a letter of support to the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Director stating your strong support for the operation of ReA3 as a user facility. ReA3 will provide world-unique low-energy beams of rare isotopes at MSU NSCL by stopping fast, separated rare isotopes in a gas stopper, then reaccelerating them in a linac. The components of ReA3 will form an integral part of FRIB, and can deliver beams for exciting science when the primary driver accelerator for FRIB is under construction. For years, users have consistently expressed our strong desire for the NSCL management to develop the ReA3 capabilities. In 2011, the National Science Board authorized funding at a level to allow the NSCL to commission ReA3 and operate the full fast- and reaccelerated-beam program at about 4000 hours per year. Our letter stressed the importance of both the new capabilities that ReA3 operations will provide, as well as the world-class science from fast-beam experiments at NSCL. We hand delivered the letter to NSF and also to the OSTP [Office of Science and Technology Policy] in Washington, D.C. and discussed the importance of funding at the level authorized by the National Science Board. Click here to see the signed letter.
October 2012
Mini Town Meeting at APS DNP Meeting
Members of the Low Energy research community attended a Mini Town Meeting at the APS DNP Meeting. The goals of the meeting were to keep the community informed on the latest news, to reprise the information presented to NSAC Implementation Subcommittee in early September 2012, to give the community a chance for input into the Subcommittee process, and to prepare for larger, full-community town meeting at the APS DNP on Friday, Oct. 27, 2012. Two resolutions were passed by consensus and will be transmitted to the NSAC Subcommittee.
September 2012
The FRIB Science Case Document Online
A White Paper "FRIB: Opening New Frontiers in Nuclear Science" is now posted online. This document was prepared in Summer 2012 by members of the FRIB Users Organization for the NSAC Long Range Plan Implementation Subcommittee. It was sent to the Subcommittee in Sept. 2012.
Please click here to download the FRIB Science Case Document [PDF - 11.88 MB]
Please click here for the Executive Summary [PDF - 3.64 MB]
July 2012
Merger of three intermediate-energy separator Working Groups
The three Working Groups on intermediate energy mass separators / recoil separators for FRIB are planning to merge into one new "ReA12 Recoil Separator" Working Group at the upcoming Low Energy Community Meeting on August 17-18, 2012, at Argonne National Laboratory.
The three existing Working Groups that will merge are the Gas filled separator, High Efficiency Spectrometer (ISLA- or VAMOS-like), and Recoil Separator 1 - 3 MeV/u.
The initial goal of the new Working Group is to shape the requirements and characteristics of a device that can filter out unreacted beam particles and separate and characterize the reaction residues of interest. The Co-Conveners are calling on the FRIB User community to put forth device proposals to discuss at the August meeting. Please see the ReA12 Recoil Separator Working Group web page for more details.
March 2012
Exotic Beam Summer School 2012 Announced for August 4-11, 2012
This year's Exotic Beam Summer School will be held at Argonne National Laboratory, August 4-11, 2012. Applications for the school are now being accepted, and those interested in applying should go to:
http://www.dep.anl.gov/p_graduate/ebss/
to complete the application process. Applications will be accepted through May 15, 2011. In addition, the conference Nuclear Structure 2012 (NS12) is being held at ANL and will take place the week following the school, and students attending the school may wish to attend the conference as well. We would appreciate if you could share this announcement with graduate students and young researchers who you believe would benefit from attending the school.
Second Low Energy Community Meeting Announced for August 17-18, 2012
The second annual Low-Energy Community Meeting will be held on August 17-18, 2012 in connection with the Nuclear Structure 2012 Meeting at Argonne National Laboratory. This community meeting follows the successful first Joint Users Meeting held in East Lansing in August 2011. The meeting will consist of limited presentations, breakout sessions, working group summaries from the breakout sessions, and a town-meeting style open forum.
Visit to Capitol Hill
On Monday, March 5, 41 members of our Users Organization visited Capital Hill and delivered our letter -- signed by 532 members -- for enhanced nuclear physics funding. 75 offices were visited, including Representatives and Senators of 21 states as well as House and Senate Appropriations Staff. We left behind a very nice package [thanks to Michael Famiano, Ani Aprahamian, Brad Sherrill, and the FRIB Washington DC Office] that included copy of the letter, a fact sheet on FRIB, information on Societal Uses of Nuclear Science, and other information on MSU/NSCL and FRIB. Check our FRIB Handouts page for PDF downloads of all this information that you can print and give out to your colleagues and visitors.
February 2012
FRIB Funding, Letter Writing Campaign, Visit to Capitol Hill
The President's budget for 2013 was just announced on Monday, February 13th, and the funding for FRIB for Fiscal Year 2013 [starting on Oct. 1, 2012] is proposed to be 22 M$. This is well below the 55 M$ needed to fully fund the project in 2013, and could delay completion and increase the cost of this vital facility.
It is very important for our membership to contact Congress and advocate for full FRIB funding in 2013, as well as to support the funding of basic research and, in particular, for the needed increases to the DOE Office of Science and National Science Foundation budgets.
We have written a letter of support for full FRIB funding and nuclear science funding that all of our members living in the U.S. can electronically sign. This joint letter will be delivered to the appropriate Congressional offices and will remain posted online. 532 of our US-based members have signed the letter - Thanks for the support!
To view the letter, please click here.
We are also arranging a one-day Washington DC fly-in for FRIB User Organization members who live in the U.S. on Monday, March 5th, 2012. We will deliver the signed letter of support, and make the case with Congress for full FRIB funding and increased nuclear science funding. If you are able to participate in this one-day event, please contact Michael Smith (smithms at ornl.gov) or Brad Sherrill (sherrill at frib.msu.edu). Please let us know if you need help with travel support. A welcome dinner and discussion will take place on the Sunday evening, March 4th. We will have a breakfast on Monday morning with instructions on how to most effectively conduct the visits. All events should be completed by early afternoon on Monday March 5th. Your participation in this event is very important -- Please Participate !
January 2012
FRIB Funding in the News
Statements by DOE Secretary Chu on January 11, 2012 are being widely reported as indicating uncertainties in the funding for FRIB. While the budget for the next fiscal year has not yet been released, we remain optimistic that the tremendous advances promised by FRIB in basic and applied science -- as pointed out in the 2007 National Academies Report and the 2007 NSAC Long Range Plan -- will be realized. In the current Fiscal Year, FRIB will receive 22 million dollars in funding from the US Department of Energy, and construction is slated to begin in May 2012. FRIB has had a number of significant milestones, including support by a March 2011 Lehman Review to advance civil construction ahead by one year relative to CD-1 schedule, and a September 2011 Lehman Review that found FRIB to be on track and ready for a CD-2/3A review in April 2012. Our User Organization, now almost 1200 members strong, has over 20 Working Groups who are writing proposals, building equipment, and preparing for exciting science at FRIB. Getting this world-leading facility built, especially in this era of challenging budgets, will require continuous effort by our members working together with the FRIB Facility and the nuclear physics community. Now, more than ever, it is crucial to keep focused on our goal of making FRIB a reality.
December 2011
Voting complete
The vote by the membership of the FRIB Users Organization for three new members of the Executive Committee is complete: Walter Loveland [Oregon State Univ.] and Lee Sobotka [Washington Univ. St. Louis] were elected as general members of the Executive Committee, and Ian Thompson [LLNL] was elected as the Theory Representative. Please welcome them aboard ! Let's also thank Rick Casten [Yale], Jeff Blackmon [LSU], and Augusto Macchiavelli [LBNL] for their three excellent years of service to the FRIB Users Organization Executive Committee.
November 2011
Mergers Complete with NSCL User Group & FRIB Theory Users Group
The vote by the membership of the FRIB Users Organization on the changes in our Charter to Merge the NSCL User Group with the FRIB Users Organization, and to Merge the FRIB Theory User Group with the FRIB Users Organization, is now complete. The Charter changes for the Mergers have overwhelmingly passed, with 217 in favor and 5 opposed.
Our new Charter now specifies that
- a standing (that is, permanent) Operations Subcommittee of the Executive Committee is established; and that
- future elections of the Executive Committee will be arranged such that this Committee has at least one Theorist and three members of the Operations Subcommittee.
You can read the newly modified charter by clicking here.
As a result of this election, the FRIB Users Organization Executive Committee now has three additional members who comprise the Operations Subcommittee:
- Michael Famiano, Western Michigan University [term expires Dec. 31, 2012]
- Paul Fallon, LBNL [Dec. 31, 2013]
- Krzysztof Rykaczewski, ORNL [Dec. 31, 2014]
The FRIB Users Organization Executive Committee also has one additional member who is filling the Theorist slot: Ian Thompson, LLNL [Dec. 31, 2011]
Please welcome our new members of the Executive Committee!
You can see the entire list of Executive Committee members by clicking here.
We will soon announce a new election for members of the Executive Committee that are rotating off at the end of this calendar year.
May 2011
Planning for the Joint ATLAS-HRIBF-NSCL-FRIB Users Meeting on August 18 - 20, 2011
Planning is ongoing for the first annual Joint ATLAS-HRIBF-NSCL-FRIB Users Meeting, to be held in East Lansing, MI from 18-20 August, 2011. A mailing will be sent with more information; please see our Gatherings page for more information on the meeting and visit the official meeting page at http://meetings.nscl.msu.edu/superuser2011/.
April 2011
Beam accelerated through first ReA3 cryomodule at MSU/NSCL
From: Daniela Leitner, ReA3 Group Leader, MSU/NSCL
Beam commissioning of the ReA3 reaccelerator continued last week through the first cryomodule. On Friday, April 14, an ion beam was accelerated using the first cryomodule of the ReA3 reaccelerator. This is the first ion beam acceleration through an SRF cavity at MSU.
ReA3 is designed to accelerate rare isotope beams produced by NSCL's Coupled Cyclotron Facility and will be part of FRIB. Once completed, ReA3 will serve the nuclear science community by delivering a wide variety of exotic isotopes for nuclear science experiments at variable energies with high beam quality.
A He+ beam from the pilot ion source was accelerated by the room temperature Radio Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ) to 600 keV/u and then further accelerated through the first SRF cavity in the rebuncher to about 640 keV/u. To determine the absolute energy gain and energy spread of the beam, a time of flight diagnostic will be necessary and is under development.
For these beam tests the rebuncher SRF cavity designed for an optimal beta of 0.041 was operated in acceleration mode. The kinetic energy of the accelerated beam particles after the cryomodule was measured with a foil silicon detector. Figure 1 shows the energy spectrum from the accelerated beam using only the RFQ (SRF cavity is grounded, red trace) together with the spectrum obtained when the SRF cavity is energized to a gradient of about 8 MV/m (blue trace). Also shown in the spectrum is the peak from the calibration alpha source, which is permanently mounted off axis in the diagnostic box. The calibration source provides alpha particles at a total energy of 5.5 MeV and is used to calibrate the detector.
In addition, the beam energy was measured relative to the cavity phase with respect to the beam provided by the RFQ. As expected, the energy gain is proportional to a cosine-like function with the maximum energy gain at 0 phase (Figure 2, 0 phase corresponds to 260° in the graph). By measuring the energy gain as a function of the cavity phase, the phasing between the RFQ and the SRF LINAC can be calibrated.
The commissioning will continue through the next cryomodule using the same procedure to determine the relative phase for each cavity.
Please see the original posting of this article at this link.
March 2011
FRIB Congressional Visit
Over 20 members of our User Organization went to Washington on March 1 for a visit to the Staff of their Senators and Representatives. There were over 50 visits to different Congressmen, and overall our members had a very good reception as they advocated for strong funding for the DOE Office of Science in general, and FRIB in particular. FRIB is slated to receive 10 M$ in Fiscal Year 2011 [FY11] and 30 M$ in FY12, and the message delivered was the importance of FRIB science and of Low Energy Nuclear Science, and the importance to keep on this funding path. The MSU Office in Washington set up the schedules for the visits, and gave detailed instructions and advice on effectively getting our message across during the sessions with the Congressional Staffers. Our members left behind a copy of the letter of support for nuclear science funding that over 300 of our US-based members have signed. We also left behind two handouts with the Congressional Staffers, an FRIB Fact Sheet and a list of 10 reasons to love Nuclear Science. For our US members, we strongly encourage continued discussions with your Congressional representatives with follow-up emails to build up a relationship with them and keep FRIB on their mind. When doing this, make sure that you do not use government resources [computers, funds, time] for these education and advocacy activities.
February 2011
FRIB SAC Meeting
The FRIB Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) met from Feb. 18 - 19 in East Lansing, Michigan. They reviewed the written status reports that were turned in by the FRIB Working groups -- and made recommendations to the FRIB Facility on priorities for near-term funding. Comments from the SAC on the Working Group status reports will be sent individually to the Point of Contacts of the Working Groups. The continued development of FRIB detector systems -- through vigorous efforts of the Working Groups -- is crucial to maximize the early scientific impact of FRIB.
January 2011
FRIB Funding Letter
Most of our large membership will not be able to attend our Washington visit [see below] in person. We have therefore written a letter of support for nuclear science funding that all of our members living in the U.S. can electronically sign. This joint letter will be delivered to the appropriate offices during our visit and will remain posted online. Thank you for your help ! The more signatures we get, the stronger our case will be for funding for FRIB and for nuclear science.
FRIB Congressional Visit
With the new Congress in Washington and their focus on cutting the Federal budget, it is an important time for us to make the case to them for funding of basic research and, in particular, for funding of activities of the DOE Office of Science and National Science Foundation. One of the most effective ways to express this case is to visit Congress in person. Hence we are planning to arrange a one-day fly-in for FRIB User Organization members to come to Washington and visit with members of their congressional delegations. The President's budget for 2012 will be announced around February 14th. In order to express support for the President's proposal and for funding of science in general, we will arrange the fly-in day on 1 March, 2011. If you might be able to participate in this one-day event, please contact Michael Smith (smithms at ornl.gov). While you will need to support your own travel, FRIB will offer help with hotel reservations and scheduling of the congressional visits. A welcome dinner and discussion will take place on the evening of 28 February. We will have a breakfast on 1 March with instructions from House or Senate staff members on how to most effectively conduct the visits. All events should be completed by early afternoon on March 1st. Your participation in this event is very important. Please consider taking the time. If you have any questions regarding the visit, please contact Michael Smith or Brad Sherrill (sherrill at frib.msu.edu).
December 2010
Election of Executive Committee Members
An election of three new members of the Executive Committee was held in December 2010. The newly elected members are: Alexandra Gade [MSU/NSCL], Guy Savard [ANL], and Alan Wuosmaa [WMU]. The new members will replace Thomas Glasmacher (Michigan State University), Kim Lister (Argonne National Lab), and Witek Nazarewicz (University of Tennessee) -- who are rotating off after 3 years of service. Please thank them for their service to the community to advance physics with unstable beams and the FRIB facility ! The new members will begin their three year term on January 1, 2011.
Working Group Updates for the FRIB SAC
Please remember that Working Groups need to prepare a four page or less report to the SAC by February 4, 2011. See the news item below for more details.
October 2010
Working Group Updates for the FRIB SAC
The FRIB Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) will meet in February 2011 to review the status of the FRIB Working groups and identify priorities for funding in the near term. To help in this assessment, the Working Groups are requested to provide the SAC with a report (four pages or less) by Feb. 4, 2011. This report should detail: a high level overview of the science program, a short description of the proposed equipment, the current status, and identification of funding requirements over the next five years. Funding requirements could include money for R&D, design, prototypes, construction, and commissioning if the device (or prototypes) can be used at existing laboratories before FRIB turns on. Such continued development of FRIB detector systems -- through vigorous efforts of the Working Groups -- is crucial to maximize the early scientific impact of FRIB.
September 2010
FRIB Compliance with NEPA established
Dr. William F. Brinkman, Director of the Office of Science, U.S. Department of Energy, signed a Finding of No Significant Impact for FRIB on Sept. 14, 2010. This establishes FRIB's compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). It was expected, but the process to comply with NEPA is challenging and must be carefully completed. The Office of Science has determined that FRIB will not have a significant impact on the environment and we can move forward, removing a significant barrier to realizing FRIB.
FRIB Project Receives CD-1 Approval
Dr. Patricia M. Dehmer, DOE Office of Science Deputy Director for Science Programs, approved Critical Decision 1 (CD-1) for FRIB on September 1 following a meeting of the DOE-SC Energy Systems Acquisition Advisory Board. The approval of CD-1 establishes the preferred alternative for the facility design and cost/schedule range for the project. Also approved were the FRIB Preliminary Project Execution Plan and long-lead procurements up to $10M. With CD-1 received, the FRIB Project can enter the second budget period of the Cooperative Agreement on Oct. 1 and proceed with Preliminary Design in FY2011/2012 at an anticipated cost of $55 million.
March 2010
Ninth Summer School on Exotic Beam Physics
The Ninth Summer School on Exotic Beam Physics will be held at ORNL from August 2 - 6, 2010. The aim of this annual school is to educate young researchers on the excitement and challenges of radioactive ion beam physics. Through these schools, the research community will be able to more fully exploit the opportunities created by the next generation exotic beam facilities, such as the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). A unique feature of this summer school series is the hands-on activities where students spend their afternoons in the lab of a radioactive beam facility, learning about the techniques and instrumentation needed to carry out experiments with unstable beams.
Scientific Advisory Committee Report and February Workshop Presentations Available
The report of the FRIB Science Advisory Committee on the February 2010 FRIB Equipment Workshop is now available online at this link. Additionally, the Workshop summary presentations are also available online. More details on this very successful meeting can be at the workshop website.
February 2010
FRIB Experimental Equipment Meeting at MSU, February 20 - 22, 2010
There was an FRIB meeting on experimental equipment needs on February 20-22 (noon Saturday to noon Monday) on the campus of Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.
The goals of this meeting included ensuring that alternatives for experimental equipment have been considered, that adequate space is provided in the experimental halls, and that all users communicate their specific equipment needs to FRIB and to each other. The workshop provided a venue for detailed consideration of concepts for specific instruments and consideration of the physics they will enable. Attendance by all those interested in the development of instrumentation for FRIB, regardless of whether they are specifically involved in one of the equipment collaborations or not, was necessary in formulating plans for FRIB. Prior to this workshop, users and user collaborations developed equipment ideas to be presented at the workshop. Based on expressions of interest, a number of working groups for the workshop were formed and announced. For more information, see the workshop website at FRIB.
APS Meeting / Congressional Visits
Dear FRIB User:
This year the APS April Meeting is being held in Washington DC from February 13-16, 2010. It is an opportunity for our community to visit and meet our representatives in the House and Senate, and to encourage their support of basic scientific research. Many expert panel assessments have highlighted the importance of basic research to the nation, however it is necessary for the scientific community to carry that message to their representatives so they recognize it as a local issue as well as a national priority.
If you will be attending the APS April meeting and/or otherwise would like help in arranging a personal visit to your congressional offices, please contact Brad Sherrill (Sherrill at frib.msu.edu). The Michigan State University Washington Office will provide logistical support and help arrange visits on the dates of Monday February 15th and Tuesday February 16th. In addition, they will offer a briefing on how to meet with congress and staff on the evening of February 15th at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park starting at 19:30 following the DNP Town Meeting.
Please take the time to participate in this important activity.
Sincerely,
Brad Sherrill
FRIB Chief Scientist
January 2010
Message from the FRIB Users Organization Chairman
Happy New Year to all our (potential) FRIB Users. This is an important year for FRIB as we move into the CDR phase of the project, and start planning for real experiments. We encourage you to visit the FRIB Users website http://fribusers.org/ (or Google fribusers) as that will be our forum for keeping you updated on our progress.
FRIB Users List
The original RIA mailing list is a decade old, and 30% of the e-mail addresses are now incorrect. This is important to remedy, as most of the changes apply to younger scientists who have changed jobs. We need to fix this situation and get a reliable mailing list in order to keep everyone involved in the process. As we move forward more rapidly, a single reliable mailing list becomes essential. It will prevent you from getting the same e-mail from multiple sources, which is the situation we have now. It will also give us a more solid and reliable determination of the current and potential user community. PLEASE, PLEASE take a moment to re-register for the FRIB User group NOW. Just go to the link http://fribusers.org/organization/join.html and fill in the online form. We will be using the new list for the February workshop, so register now.
Equipment Workshop in MSU 20-22 Feb. 2010
An equipment workshop is being held in MSU on 20-22 Feb 2010 aimed at evaluating the status of plans for equipment for FRIB. This involves clarifying the match of equipment to the scientific goals, indentifying the experimental infrastructure needs at FRIB and making sure they are properly accounted for in the CDR for the facility, identifying what equipment exists and may be useful, what can be constructed and deployed prior to FRIB coming online, and the workshop provides a forum for developing strong teams to work on these projects. Many Working Groups are already in place and are discussing requirements for equipment, and planning detailed designs of detectors. You can find more information on Working Groups at the FRIB User website. This is a real opportunity for you to get involved. We hope you can come to the workshop and participate. You can find more information on our meeting page and also at the workshop website http://meetings.nscl.msu.edu/frib-equipment-workshop2010/ where you can register. Whether or not you can attend, we also hope you will join the some of the Working Groups. Most groups have information about their activities on this FRIB Users web site. Please contact the Conveners of the Groups that you are interested in and add your name, suggestions and ideas. The trains are leaving the station! We would like to encourage the involvement of younger scientists, at the senior graduate and post-doc level, as this facility will be "their" machine. We hope to have a modest fund to help support travel and accommodation for special cases. Please contact Kim Lister (Lister at anl.gov) if travel funding is a critical issue.
November 2009
FRIB Users Organization Election
The winners of the election of the FRIB Users Organization Executive Committee are:
- Ani Aprahamian (University of Notre Dame)
- Michael Smith (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)
- Ingo Wiedenheover (Florida State University)
Each will serve on the Executive Committee for a term of three years beginning on Jan. 1, 2010. They replaced outgoing Executive Committee members Erich Ormand and Michael Wiescher whose terms expired in 2009. See the Organization page for a complete list of the Executive Committee Members.
October 2009
FRIB Users Organization Meeting at the DNP Meeting in Hawaii
The FRIB Users Organization held a meeting at the DNP meeting in Hawaii in October 2009.
August 2009
Meeting of FRIB Equipment Collaborations at MSU
A workshop for FRIB collaborations was held immediately preceding an MSU NSCL Users Meeting. Approximately 80 researchers participated in four different collaboration meetings.
May 2009
First FRIB Users Organization Meeting
The inaugural meeting of the FRIB Users Organization was held at Saturday, May 30 - Sunday, May 31, 2009, at Argonne National Lab, Argonne, Illinois.