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GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH


BMFTR awards millions in funding for fusion research – Dr. Yannik Zobus of GSI/FAIR secures a young investigators group

Dr. Yannik Zobus's LASE-FUSE project aims to develop a comprehensive, modular simulation framework for fusion laser systems, enabling holistic modeling and virtual optimization of complex systems. The project will receive three million euros in funding over five years through the 'Fusionstalente' program.

Non-destructive battery testing — New method developed with GSI participation

A new method has been developed to enable nondestructive diagnosis of the electrolyte in rechargeable batteries through the battery casing using special nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. The technique, known as ZULF NMR, allows for the direct detection and quantification of electrolyte components without damaging the battery.

SourceGSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH·JournalChemical Science·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 5, 2026

New approaches for tumor therapy: Key publication from ERC project BARB on radioactive ion beams published in Nature Physics

Researchers successfully treat mouse tumor with radioactive carbon ion beam, achieving complete control without major neurological side effects. The BARB project advances image-guided particle therapy using exotic beams, showing feasibility and effectiveness.

SourceGSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH·JournalNature Physics·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 19, 2025

Heaviest tin isotopes provide insights into element synthesis – Successful experiments under GSI/FAIR leadership

Researchers at GSI/FAIR have conducted high-precision measurements of three extremely neutron-rich tin isotopes, revealing unexpected changes in the behavior of tin nuclei beyond N=82. These findings improve our understanding of nuclear forces far from stability and may alter the path of the r-process on the nuclear chart.

SourceGSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateJul 2, 2025

Successful experiments at GSI/FAIR uncover new island of asymmetric fission

An international team identified a new region of heavy, neutron-deficient isotopes where nuclear fission is predominantly governed by an asymmetric mode. The research found increasingly asymmetric fission in these nuclei, characterized by light krypton fragments, marking the discovery of a new island in the nuclear chart.

SourceGSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH·JournalNature·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 14, 2025

Land ahoy! — Experiments at GSI/FAIR reveal the shoreline of the island of stability of superheavy elements

Researchers at GSI/FAIR discovered the shortest-lived superheavy nucleus, Rf-252, marking the position of the island's shoreline in nuclei of rutherfordium. The results confirm theoretical predictions and enable further exploration of phenomena associated with isomer states and inverted fission stability.

SourceGSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 15, 2025

Long-sought measurement of exotic beta decay in thallium helps extract the timescale of the Sun’s birth

Researchers successfully measured the bound-state beta decay of fully-ionized thallium ions, revealing key information about AGB star production and the Sun's formation time. The discovery allows for accurate calculations of radioactive lead production in these stars, providing insights into the solar system's early history.

SourceGSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH·JournalNature·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 14, 2024

The heaviest element ever chemically studied — Experiments at GSI/FAIR succeed in determining properties of moscovium and nihonium

Researchers have determined the chemical properties of moscovium and nihonium, which are more reactive than flerovium. The study uses a newly developed setup for chemical separation and detection to observe the very short-lived moscovium-288 and its daughter nihonium-284.

SourceGSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH·JournalFrontiers in Chemistry·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 5, 2024

Greetings from the island of enhanced stability: The quest for the limit of the periodic table

Experts summarize the current state of knowledge and challenges in creating superheavy elements. The 'island of enhanced stability' is confirmed experimentally, but its size and location remain unknown. Breakthrough results have been obtained on production, nuclear structure, and chemical properties.

SourceGSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH·JournalNature Reviews Physics·TypeMeta-analysis·DateFeb 13, 2024

New tests of quantum electrodynamics in extreme fields with the heaviest two-electron ion

Researchers have successfully carried out high-precision x-ray spectroscopy on helium-like uranium, disentangling one-electron and two-electron quantum electrodynamics effects. The measurement achieves an accuracy of 37 parts per million, setting a new benchmark for QED in the strong field domain.

SourceGSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH·JournalNature·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 29, 2024

Grasping the three-dimensional morphology of kilonovae

Researchers have created a three-dimensional computer simulation of the light emitted following a neutron star merger, producing results similar to an observed kilonova. The simulation takes into account various processes and material interactions, enabling predictions for any viewing direction.

SourceGSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateOct 18, 2023

EU funding in the millions to study element formation in neutron star fusions — ERC Synergy Grant goes to international research team with GSI/FAIR participation

The European Union has awarded a €11.3 million grant to the HEAVYMETAL research project, which aims to investigate chemical element synthesis in neutron star mergers. The project brings together experts from different fields to explore kilonova explosions and decipher the details of observed spectra.

Pushing the boundaries of chemistry: Properties of heaviest element studied so far measured at GSI/FAIR

Researchers at GSI/FAIR have studied the chemical properties of flerovium, the heaviest element with known properties, and found it to be the most volatile metal in the periodic table. The new results show that flerovium is inert but capable of forming stronger chemical bonds than noble gases under suitable conditions.

SourceGSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH·JournalFrontiers in Chemistry·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 15, 2022

Where does gold come from? — New insights into element synthesis in the universe

Researchers used computer simulations to investigate the conversion rates of neutrons and protons in accretion disks surrounding black holes, finding that disks with masses between 0.01 to 0.1 solar masses are optimal for heavy element production. This suggests that neutron star mergers producing such disks could be the origin of a lar...

SourceGSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateNov 15, 2021