A new $13 million grant is helping the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams at MSU harvest unused isotopes for a variety of research fields.
This unique facility can also become a source of rare isotopes that benefit a variety of other fields, including medicine, materials’ science and environmental studies. During a routine operation for its nuclear physics mission — without interfering with FRIB’s primary users — extra, unused isotopes can be “harvested” using additional tools and infrastructure.
Isotope harvesting at FRIB is recommended by a national panel. The Nuclear Science Advisory Committee on Isotopes Subcommittee recommended it in its 2015 NSAC Isotope Long Range Plan: “Research quantities of many of these isotopes, which are of interest to various applications including medicine, stockpile stewardship and astrophysics, are currently in short supply or have no source other than that of FRIB operations.”
To read more please visit:
https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2021/reaping-frib-isotopes-to-sow-new-science
Source: Michigan State University