(6/6/09) Michigan State University announced the signing of a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy concerning the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams. The agreement, an important milestone towards establishing the FRIB project, provides the instrument for DOE Office of Science to provide financial assistance to MSU to design and establish the new facility.

FRIB will be a DOE National User Facility within the department’s Office of Nuclear Physics portfolio and located on the MSU campus. FRIB will be a new research tool for probing into the heart of atoms.

(click to enlarge picture)

The centerpiece of the new user facility will be a superconducting linear accelerator that will dramatically increase the reach of rare isotope research in the United States. The accelerator will produce isotopes that normally exist only in the most extreme environments in the universe and will greatly expand the usefulness of isotopes in a broad range of applications. Rare isotopes are produced in stars and stellar explosions and play an important role in the cosmos. They also provide many benefits to society, particularly in medicine. Rare isotope research is a vast new frontier in the study of atomic nuclei.

The JINAs online Educational Gallery offers something for everyone! From movies, coloring sheets, and a slide show based on Harry Potter character names, to teaching materials and advanced course-based lectures.

Our Marble Nuclei Project has been added to the Kraus Curriculum Development Library.
http://www.kcdonline.com

NSCL Tour via YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/nsclmedia

The Expanding Your Horizons Network program provides STEM role models and hands-on activities for middle school girls. More than 300 young women attend this year's conference at Notre Dame (April 25), participating in workshops designed to nurture their interest in science and math courses and encourage them to consider science and math based career options. JINA Outreach Specialist Mary DeWitt hosted workshops in forensic anthropology and archaeology. (Website)

JINAs Mini-Grant Program is intended to help science teachers by providing a means to enhance their curriculum with classroom materials that might not otherwise be available to them. A limited number of mini-grants are awarded during the school year. Additional information and the mini-grant application form are available online at: http://www.jinaweb.org/html/jinaprograms.html.

NSCL 'lab-branded' merchandise is now available online. http://shop.msu.edu/

"70 Years of Nuclear Physics at Notre Dame" hoodies are available at the Nuclear Science Laboratory (124 Nieuwland Science Hall) and via e-mail: JINAout@nd.edu.

Please share the information about our summer programs with students, colleagues, and parents.

Middle School Programs

Sensing Our World Go GreeND

MSUs Math, Science, and Technology program

High School Programs

PIXE-PAN 2009 @ ND

PAN 2009 @ MSU

From Art to Science - Special needs classes and after-school programs are invited to join us in igniting stellar imaginations.

Free tours of the NSCL at MSU are available to school classes at all levels. Groups of up to 50 visitors at a time will enjoy a walk-through of many parts of one of the world's leading superconducting cyclotron laboratories at MSU, interesting videos, and demonstrations. Call Zach Constan at 517-333-6363.

Cosmus is a group of scientists and science communicators interested in bringing current science - particularly (but not exclusively) astronomy, astrophysics, and cosmology - to the public by providing visualizations that explain scientific concepts and data. Information about this program at the University of Chicago is available online at astro.uchicago.edu/cosmus, as well as from Randy Landsberg via e-mail: randy@oddjob.uchicago.edu.

High school physics classes can delve into the problem of cosmic rays with a hands-on experiment at NSCL. The "Catch a Cosmic Ray" program includes materials for teachers to use in class before and after visiting NSCL, turning it into a three-day lesson.

August 10 - September 4 - Saturn Without Rings The rings of the planet Saturn will be tilted edge-on to the Earth, making them impossible to see. Viewing Saturn with a telescope will reveal the planet without its famous rings. This rare phenomenon only occurs every 14 to 15 years.

August 12, 13 - Perseids Meteor Shower The Perseids is one of the best meteor showers to observe, producing up to 60 meteors per hour at their peak. This year's peak occurs on the morning of August 12, but you may be able to see some meteors any time from July 23 - August 22. The radiant point for this shower will be in the constellation Perseus. Look to the northeast after midnight.

September 2 - 3 - Jupiter Without Moons The planet Jupiter can usually be seen with all or some of its four largest moons in binoculars and small telescopes. It is very rare for it to be seen otherwise. But late on this night in most of the Western Hemisphere, the planet will be visible with no moons for nearly two hours.

Downloadable SkyMaps are available online at www.skymaps.com/downloads.html.

Abrams Planetarium Sky Calendar and Sky Map: www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/SkyCalendar