A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held Monday morning to officially open the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) at Michigan State University.
The U.S. Department of Energy selected MSU as the home of FRIB in December of 2008. More than 13 years later, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm will be on hand to officially open the $730-million research facility.
FRIB is capable of accelerating ions towards a target at up to half the speed of light, with collisions producing rare isotopes that exist for only fractions of a second. Scientists could learn more about the origins of the stars, or how to destroy nuclear waste.
FRIB director Thomas Glasmacher says FRIB was completed on time and on budget.
“In the big area of science it means that big facilities can be built and enable individual investigators and their students to make discoveries,” he said.
Scientists from all over the world are lining up to conduct research at the site. Glasmacher adds that those visiting scientists will boost the local economy.
“They’ll live with us,” he continued. “They’re going to be in this community, participate in the commerce, if you want, and at the same time they’re going to take data they can’t take any place else and hopefully make discoveries that improve human life.”
Monday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony is not open to the public.
