The 2026 summer outcome for the GSI/FAIR SCIENCE POP-UP is extremely positive: The activities in the interactive hands-on space were among the summer attractions in downtown Darmstadt. Despite the sometimes very hot temperatures, more than 1,200 science enthusiasts of all ages visited the exhibition space in Darmstadt’s pedestrian zone during the school vacation and took the opportunity to learn about cutting-edge research using particle accelerators.

Physicist Professor Maxim Mai has been appointed to the professorial chair of Theoretical Hadron Physics at Justus Liebig University Gießen (JLU), starting on September 1, 2026. This is a joint appointment with the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung in Darmstadt, to which JLU has been closely linked through a cooperative partnership for more than 15 years. The professorship is being established as part of the German Research Foundation’s (DFG) Heisenberg Program.

Researchers at the Technical University of Darmstadt and the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung have succeeded for the first time in decelerating highly charged ions from the GSI accelerator to low energies and subsequently storing them in a Penning trap. They were also successful in performing the first-ever electron cooling of highly charged ions in such a trap. The results have now been published in the journal “Physical Review X (PRX)”.

FAIR has joined the Science|Business Network, one of Europe’s leading networks connecting research organizations, universities, industry and policy-makers to strengthen the European research and innovation ecosystem. By becoming a member, FAIR reinforces its commitment to cross-border, cross-sector collaboration and knowledge sharing across key research and innovation domains.

The new Secretary General of the CDU in Hesse, Leopold Born, visited GSI and FAIR together with Hartwig Jourdan, a member of the state parliament of Hesse from Darmstadt, and Paul Georg Wandrey, a city council member and head of public order for the City of Darmstadt (both CDU). The visit focused on scientific activities, the progress of the FAIR project, and the repair and restoration measures following the fire.

How can astronauts and satellites be protected from cosmic radiation? What part do particle accelerators play in this? These questions are the focus of the “ESA-FAIR Space Radiation Summer School 2026”, which is currently being held in Darmstadt. This renowned event is the world’s leading training program in the field of space radiation research and brings together young researchers from more than ten countries to spend two weeks intensively addressing the challenges posed by cosmic radiation...

With funding from the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), the new project SIBAF (Supraleitender Ionenbeschleuniger als BAsistechnologie für die Fusionsforschung) will establish a unique accelerator-based infrastructure for the rapid qualification of advanced materials for future fusion power plants. As part of the funding program “Basistechnologien für die Fusion – auf dem Weg zu einem Fusionskraftwerk” (Basic technologies for fusion – on the path to a fusion power…

Where do gold, platinum, and uranium come from? This question has fascinated astrophysicists and nuclear physicists for decades. A research team from Technische Universität Darmstadt has now taken an important step toward understanding the origin of heavy elements. Their findings, published in Physical Review Letters, demonstrate for the first time how modern ab initio calculations of atomic nuclei can significantly improve predictions of r-process nucleosynthesis, the mechanism responsible for…

To mark Christopher Street Day (CSD) in Darmstadt on 15 August 2026, the rainbow flag was once again raised on the GSI and FAIR campus this year as a symbol of diversity, acceptance, and visibility. The Management Board opened the event with a welcome address expressing solidarity with queer people and underscored the importance of an open and non-discriminatory work culture. For the first time, the employee network “Queer Ions” will officially represent the GSI/FAIR Research Center at the CSD…