FRIB History
1951: First radioactive beam experiment performed at the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen
1967: ISOL method introduced at CERN/ISOLDE
1978: First use of radioactive beams from projectile fragmentation at Berkeley
1984: Workshop on Prospects for Research with Radioactive Beams from Heavy Ion Accelerators in Washington, DC
1985: A proposal for an intense radioactive beams facility at TRIUMF
1989: First International Conference on Radioactive Nuclear Beams in Berkeley (Earthquake Meeting)
1989: The IsoSpin Laboratory (ISL) Steering Committee founded, drafted LRP language "Whole new
vistas would be opened by a radioactive nuclear (RNB) accelerator", set RNB facility as one of highest priorities
for new construction in LRP
1991: The IsoSpin Laboratory, ISL Steering Committee (report)
1995: TUNL Town Meeting, January 19-21, 1995. Report endorsing ISOL
1995: Overview of Research Opportunities with Radioactive Nuclear Beams, An Update (ISL)
1995: Argonne Yellow Book: ANL-ATLAS Exotic Beam Facility
1996: LRP: "We strongly recommend development of a cost-effective plan for a next generation ISOL-type facility"
1997: Columbus White paper: Scientific Opportunities with an Advanced ISOL Facility
1997: ISOL Task Force Report to NSAC: Opportunity: Rare Isotope Accelerator (RIA) Facility
1999: - "Nuclear Physics: The Core of Matter, The Fuel of Stars", National Academy Report
"Recommendation II: The committee recommends the construction of a dedicated, high-intensity
accelerator facility to produce beams of short-lived nuclei. Such a facility will open up a new frontier
in nuclear structure near the limits of nuclear binding and will strengthen our understanding of nuclear
properties relevant to explosive nucleosynthesis and other aspects of the physics governing the cosmos."
1999: ISOL Task Force Report –proposes RIA concept
2000: White paper: Scientific Opportunities with Fast Fragmentation Beams from RIA
2000: Durham workshop white paper on RIA Physics
2000: Oakland Town Meeting report
2002: LRP: "The Rare Isotope Accelerator (RIA) is our highest priority for major new construction."
2003: RIA ranks third in the DOE 20-year Science Facility Plan
2003: White paper: The Intellectual Challenges of RIA
2004: NSAC Report on Comparison of the Rare Isotope Accelerator (RIA) and the Gesellschaft für
Schwerionenforschung (GSI) Future Facility
2005: DOE cancels draft of RIA-RFP (request for proposal)
– low-cost alternatives proposed by MSU and ANL
– DOE and NSF charge Rare Isotope Science Assessment Committee (RISAC) of the
Academies to assess science case for rare isotope beam facility
2005: NSAC Report on "Guidance for Implementation of the 2002 Long Range Plan"
2005: "RIA and Complex Systems" handout
2006: DOE cancels RIA and pursues a lower cost option
2006: MSU Blue Book: Isotope Science Facility at Michigan State University
2006: The Rare-Isotope Science Assessment Committee of the National Research Council endorses
construction of a facility for rare isotope beams (FRIB) based upon a 200 MeV driver-linac
2006: The Science of the Rare Isotope Accelerator (RIA): A Brochure from the RIA Users Community
2007: NSAC transmits FRIB task force report and makes construction of FRIB
the second highest priority for nuclear science
2007: LRP: "We recommend construction of the Facility for Rare Isotopes Beams (FRIB), a world
leading facility for the study of nuclear structure, reactions, and astrophysics."
2008: DOE issues a Financial Assistance Funding Opportunity Announcement
for FRIB (May 20 –application due date July 21) and selects the MSU
application following a merit review and evaluation process (Dec. 11)
2009: The FY 2010 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill includes
$4,903.7 million for the Office of Science, $535 million of this for
Nuclear Physics, and $12 million of this for the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (Oct. 1)