This award provides support for students to participate in the Ninth Summer School on Exotic Beam Physics at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, August 2-6, 2010. The school is designed for graduate students, senior undergraduate students who are actively involved in research, and postdocs (within 2 years of their degree). The school will consist of morning lectures and hands-on activities in the afternoons. Students will also have an opportunity to present their research. The aim of the summer school is to nurture future scientists so that the community will have sufficient manpower to effectively use Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) when it comes online.
In years to come, substantial progress in low-energy nuclear physics will have a broad impact on society, ranging from our understanding of the origin of the elements to the enhancement of national security. An important element in this progress will be to extend the study of nuclei into new domains of isospin. This will require new radioactive ion beam facilities, together with advanced multi-detector arrays and mass spectrometers.
Ninth Summer School on Exotic Beam Physics One of the current frontiers in nuclear physics is the study of exotic nuclei – those with extremely unusual ratios of protons to neutrons. The quest to understand nuclear structure and nuclear reactions away from the valley of stability, as well as the synthesis of nuclei in stellar explosions, is made possible by the development of these exotic beams in present and next generation radioactive ion beam (RIB) facilities. The physics of exotic nuclei is a very rich field, influencing our knowledge on subjects as diverse as many-body theory, halo nuclei, the inner structure of neutron stars, and the superheavy elements. There are also numerous applications of this physics in materials science, medical diagnostics, and national security. The Exotic Beam Summer School Series, which was held for the ninth time from August 2-6, 2010, is aimed at training and educating young researchers (undergraduate and graduate students, and postdoctoral researcher) in these areas. The Ninth Summer School on Exotic Beam Physics was jointly organized by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory and Michigan State University, and took place at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The school is funded by these institutions, as well as the US Department of Energy and the US National Science Foundation. The 50 participants in the school received two types of training: During the mornings, they received lectures from experts in the field of exotic beam physics. These lectures focused on theoretical and experimental aspects, as well on a variety of applications, such as astrophysics and medical physics. During the afternoon, participants participated in a variety of hands-on activities. These activities dealt with specific techniques and tools that are used and/or developed by researchers in the field of exotic beam physics and the various applications. The combination of lectures and hands-on activities makes this summer school series unique in the world. In addition to the above two program elements, the participants in the school also presented their own research to their peers and the lecturers. The interaction between the students and the experts present is an important component of the program. In 2008, the United States Department of Energy approved the design and construction of the new National User Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) at Michigan State University (http://fribusers.org/2_INFO/info.html). FRIB will provide intense beams of exotic nuclei for a wide variety of studies in nuclear structure, reactions, astrophysics, and fundamental symmetries. There is a sizeable community of scientists interested in working with radioactive ion beams; for example, the FRIB Users Organization currently has about 800 members and is growing. In order for FRIB to be successful when it turns on in 2018, there must be a workforce trained in both the physics of exotic beams and in the practical techniques of carrying out an experiment. This summer school series is designed to specifically address this need – to ensure that a new generation of scientists from a broad range of institutions is trained, motivated, and equipped to push the field forward to new and important breakthroughs.
