The Nuclear Science Division proudly hosted the Exotic Beam Summer School (EBSS2025) from June 23 to June 27, 2025. This intensive program was designed to immerse the next generation of nuclear physicists in the vibrant world of rare isotope beam science, welcoming 40 graduate students and postdocs from 5 continents.

The school’s unique format combined theoretical knowledge with practical experience. The mornings featured engaging lectures delivered by world-leading researchers, providing insights into current topics on both experimental and theoretical nuclear science. In the afternoons, participants were exposed to aspects of the research performed by various NSD’s programs. Students took part in hands-on activities such as tuning the VENUS ion source at the 88-inch cyclotron, reconstructing gamma-ray events with the GRETA array, and digging through datasets to find superheavy element production events. The activities were diligently offered by the Low Energy Nuclear Physics Program with participation from the Applied Nuclear Physics Program and the Nuclear Data Program.

The EBSS is a multi-national lab educational initiative supported by the DOE and jointly organized by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (MSU/FRIB), and the Association for Research at University Nuclear Accelerators (ARUNA). Through these schools, the research community will be able to more fully exploit the opportunities created by the state-of-the-art exotic beam facilities, such as the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, and to capitalize on other unique capabilities available for nuclear science experiments in the U.S.

EBSS2025 participants gather for a group photo.