World’s most advanced nuclear microscope ready to probe atomic nuclei

The Gamma-Ray Energy Tracking Array (GRETA), the world’s most advanced nuclear detector, has completed major construction and is set for installation at Michigan State University’s Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). Developed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and collaborators including Argonne and Oak Ridge National Laboratories, GRETA is designed to deliver unprecedented precision in measuring atomic nuclei. Utilizing 30 high-purity germanium detector modules arranged in a complete spherical configuration, GRETA tracks gamma rays emitted from nuclear decays with exceptional energy and 3D spatial resolution. This capability will enable scientists to explore fundamental questions about nuclear structure, the creation of heavy elements in stars, and the limits of nuclear stability by studying rare isotopes and exotic nuclear shapes. GRETA represents a significant advance over its predecessor, GRETINA, by increasing detector modules from 12 to 30, thereby improving detection efficiency and sensitivity by 10 to 100 times. The system’s ultra-pure germanium crystals operate at cryogenic temperatures