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Breakthrough Measurement Reveals Selenium-74's Astrophysical Abundance

3/19/2026

Summary

Story summary

Researchers at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) led by Artemis Tsantiri conducted the first measurement of proton capture on arsenic-73, producing selenium-74.
The experiment used a specialized arsenic-73 beam and a hydrogen target to observe the reaction, with results published in Physical Review Letters.
The results improved accuracy of astrophysical models predicting selenium-74's abundance, though discrepancies remain.
The work was supported by various U.S. and Canadian scientific organizations.

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Story summary

Researchers at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) led by Artemis Tsantiri conducted the first measurement of proton capture on arsenic-73, producing selenium-74.
The experiment used a specialized arsenic-73 beam and a hydrogen target to observe the reaction, with results published in Physical Review Letters.
The results improved accuracy of astrophysical models predicting selenium-74's abundance, though discrepancies remain.
The work was supported by various U.S. and Canadian scientific organizations.