Facility for Rare Isotope Beams
Last updated on July 28, 2008
FRIB (the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams) is a $550 million accelerator proposed by the Department of Energy. FRIB will be a research tool for scientists studying the basic nature of matter, and it will contribute to real-world advances in medicine, national security and environmental protection. Argonne National Laboratory, which has submitted a proposal for FRIB, has the resources and experience to ensure that this research tool is designed and managed for maximum accessibility, efficiency, and scientific impact.
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Science Links
- User Groups
- Additional Radioactive Nuclear Beam Links
- News Releases and Media
- Video
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is FRIB?
- The U.S. Department of Energy called for proposals for a $550 million Facility for Rare Isotope Beams. UChicago Argonne LLC submitted the proposal on July 17 before the July 21 deadline and oral presentations will be sometime after Sept. 1.
- A decision on the site for FRIB is expected by the end of the year. It is expected to take a decade to construct the facility.
- The facility will be the world’s most powerful accelerator facility in terms of beam power dedicated to producing and exploring new rare isotopes that are not found naturally on Earth.
- DOE has placed FRIB in a third-place tie among 28 projects that it listed as necessary to keep the United States at the forefront of scientific research.
2. What is FRIB's benefit to science?
- FRIB will help answer some of the most fundamental questions of astro and nuclear physics such as: what are the origins of the elements; what are the laws governing nuclear matter; how do stars evolve and how does their evolution affect the formation and development of galaxies and planets; and how much “ordinary” matter is in the universe and why is there so little antimatter?
- Practical “real world” applications in medicine, national security and environmental protection including targeted treatments that deliver radioactive materials to attack tumors in specific parts of the body; more sensitive radio-tracers for studying metabolism and other biological and industrial processes; and more sensitive methods to detect and identify trace pollutants in the environment.
3. Why is Argonne National Laboratory best suited to be the site for FRIB?
- Argonne scientists have been instrumental in developing the technology to enable FRIB.
- Scientists from around the world travel to Argonne to participate in groundbreaking research conducted on cutting-edge user facilities including the Advanced Photon Source and the ATLAS, (Argonne Tandem Linac Accerator System, an accelerator that has been used to pioneer FRIB technologies). Of the 70 doctoral degrees granted for research projects completed at ATLAS during the last six years, half were for students who came with user groups from institutions outside the United States.
- Argonne is able to incorporate its already existing Argonne Tandem Linac Accelerator System (ATLAS) as an important component for FRIB.
4. What are the economic benefits of FRIB?
- It is estimated that Illinois residents will receive $250 million in new personal income during the eight-year construction period.
- The facility is expected to contribute $1 billion total output to the Illinois economy during construction.
- Upon completion, it is expected to provide $80 million in economic activity annually and 290 new jobs.
- The State of Illinois is providing major funding in support of scientific projects that will enhance the siting of FRIB at Argonne. In addition, local federal legislators are supporting Argonne’s bid for the facility.
5. What is the Rare Isotope Accelerator relation to FRIB?
- In 2004, DOE put out a call for proposals for a $1 billion Rare Isotope Accelerator (RIA). Due to budget constraints, the project was shelved before a site decision was made.
- Argonne was a major player for the facility at the time.
- RIA could be considered FRIB's older sibling. Much of the technology created for RIA can be used to develop Argonne's FRIB. However, recent technological advances for FRIB allow the same beam power as RIA was to have, but at half the beam energy.
Science Links
"Funding Opportunity Announcement for a Facility for Rare Isotope Beams"
Dept. of Energy (5.20.08)
"The Frontiers of Nuclear Science, A Long-Range Plan"
DOE/NSF Nuclear Science Advisory Committee (NSAC) (December 2007)
"Four Years Later: An Interim Report on Facilities for the Future of Science: A Twenty-Year Outlook" (PDF)
DOE Office of Science (August 2007)
"Scientific Opportunities with a Rare-Isotope Facility in the United States"
Ahearne, et. al., The Rare Isotope Science Assessment Committee, National Research Council, National Academies Press (2007)
"Radiation Environment at ISOL Target Station of Rare Isotope Facility" (PDF)
Kostin, et. al., Proceedings of PAC07 (2007)
"Report to NSAC of the Rare Isotope Beam Task Force"
Symons et. al. (8.20.07)
Designer isotopes push the frontier of science
E! Science News (5.09.08)
"The Science of Rare Isotope Accelerators" (PDF)
A brochure from the Rare Isotope Accelerator Community (2003)
User Groups
Rare Isotope Separator Working Group for the E/A+10MeV Experimental Area
Rare Isotope Accelerator Theory Group
Additional Radioactive Nuclear Beam Links
North America
Europe
Japan
News Releases and Media
Argonne project would add 100s of jobs (Chicago Business, 7.03.08)
Designer isotopes push the frontier of science (E! Science News, 5.09.08)
Video
The Science of RIA: ATLAS, Hulk & Brute Force Physics
In 2004, DOE put out a call for proposals for a $1 billion Rare Isotope Accelerator (RIA) that was never built. Much of the technology created for RIA will be used to develop Argonne’s FRIB. This technology was pioneered on ATLAS, an Argonne accelerator depicted in the video.