Nuclear masses play a central role in nuclear astrophysics, significantly impacting the origin of the elements and observables used to constrain ultradense matter. A variety of techniques are available to meet this need, varying in their emphasis on precision and reach from stability. These are complemented by theory tools that identify key masses and extrapolate beyond experimental reach.
The nuclear astrophysics community has regularly met to discuss the importance of nuclear masses and the path forward for the field, building connections between techniques, research groups across continents, and experiment to theory. In recent years there have been major advances in experiment, nuclear theory, and computational astrophysics. This workshop has the goal of training and showcasing the next generation of nuclear mass spectrometrists, summarizing the state-of-the-art in nuclear mass measurement and theory, and charting a course for the next 25 years of nuclear masses for nuclear astrophysics.
This is the second workshop in a series started with a first meeting in Darmstadt (Germany) in August 2025. It will have the specific goals of producing a whitepaper charting the course to leverage the complementarity of experimental techniques, while using nuclear and astrophysics theory to guide measurements in order to maximize science output and ultimate reach across the nuclear landscape.
The meeting will take place at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams at Michigan State University. Financial support for travel expenses will be available thanks to the event's sponsorship by CeNAM.
The registration for the meeting and details about travel logistics will be available by the end of February.