Speaker: Dr. Andrea Richard (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory)
Frontiers in Low-Energy Nuclear Science at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams
The fundamental challenges in nuclear science have been summarized in the 2015 Long Range Plan for Nuclear Science, which outlines four important questions, (1) How did visible matter come into being and how does it evolve? (2) How does subatomic matter organize itself and what phenomena emerge? (3) Are the fundamental interactions that are basic to the structure of matter fully understood? and (4) How can the knowledge and technical progress provided by nuclear physics best be used to benefit society? The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) at Michigan State University is the leading radioactive isotope facility that will provide access to exotic, short-lived isotopes for experimental studies that can address these open questions. FRIB seeks to answer questions regarding the properties of rare isotopes, nuclear astrophysics, fundamental interactions, and applications for society including in medicine, security, and industry. In the area of nuclear astrophysics, FRIB can address key open questions regarding the origin of heavy elements in the universe. Stellar observations provide insight into nucleosynthesis indifferent stellar environments. Modelling and understanding these environments requires accurate nuclear physics descriptions. Radioactive decay, nuclear reactions, and the structure of individual nuclei are all vital components to our understanding of the universe both by utilizing experimental and theoretical studies. In this talk, I will discuss recent experiments, new initiatives, and explore the upcoming FRIB facility and how it will provide a wealth of additional nuclei for study, enabling experimental programs that were previously unfeasible.