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Currently, diamonds are widely used in science and technology. However, the properties of diamonds due to their defects are not fully understood. In addition to optical methods, positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) can be successfully used to study defects in diamonds. Positrons are capable of detecting vacancies, and small and large clusters of vacancies induced by irradiation, by providing information about their size, concentration, and chemical environment. By mapping in the infrared (IR) range, it is possible to consider the admixture composition of the main inclusions of the whole plate. This article presents the results of a study of defects in synthetic diamond plates, one of which was irradiated by electrons. It presents data about the distribution of the defect concentration obtained by Infrared spectroscopy. PAS with a monochromatic positron beam can be used as a non-destructive technique of detecting defects (vacancy) distribution over the depth of diamond plates.

Studies of radioactive ions (RIs) are the most thriving field of low-energy nuclear physics. In this paper, the concept and the scientific agenda of the prospective accelerator and storage ring facility for RI beam (RIB) research are proposed for a large-scale international project based at the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research. The motivation for the new facility is discussed and its characteristics are briefly presented and shown to be comparable to those of advanced world centers, the so-called “RIB factories”. In the project, the emphasis is made on studies with short-lived RIBs in storage rings. A unique feature of the project is the possibility of studying electron–RI interactions in a collider experiment to determine the fundamental properties of nuclear matter, in particular, electromagnetic form factors of exotic nuclei.

The dynamics of charged particles in the Penning–Malmberg–Surco trap with a rotating electric field [1–3] (the Charlton trap) is investigated. Two different algorithms for determining Lyapunov characteristic exponents for solutions of a nonstationary system describing the dynamics of particles in a trap are constructed and realized. This allows us to construct approximate analytical solutions and analyze the behavior of the envelope of the particle beam, and not only of individual trajectories. The asymptotic stability of motions of charged particles is checked for a different choice of the system parameters and their relations.

The new NICA (Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAсility) accelerator complex being built at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (Dubna, Russia) is intended for experiments with 197Au79+ gold nuclei at energies in the range of 1–4.5 GeV/n. The RF system of the collider should provide the capture of bunches to be injected from the nuclotron, the accumulation of the necessary number of particles, their acceleration (if necessary), and the formation of bunches. For this, in each ring of the collider, three types of accelerating stations are used: one barrier station and two harmonic stations. The barrier station accumulates the particles and can used to accelerate them up to the energy of the experiment. The harmonic RF stations operating at the 22th and 66th harmonics of the revolution frequency are used for the formation of bunches. This paper describes the operating modes of the RF system and the design features of the RF stations.

One of the processes leading to the vacuum conditions degradation when working with a gold bare nuclei beam in the NICA Collider can be the electron clouds effect. Influence of electron cloud densities on the coherent tune shift of ion betatron oscillation in the Collider ring was investigated for different bare gold nuclei beam intensity, its energies and electron secondary emission yields from the Collider vacuum chamber. The pressure rise due to additional gas load and heat load caused by electron clouds are estimated.

The project NICA (Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility) is aimed to study hot and baryon rich QCD matter in heavy ion collisions in the energy range up to s NN = 11 GeV . The heavy ion program includes a study of collective phenomena, dilepton, hyperon and hypernuclei production under extreme conditions of highest baryonic density. This program will be performed at a fixed target experiment BM@N and with MPD detector at the NICA collider.

The solutions of equations characterizing the dynamics of charged particles in electromagnetic Penning–Malmberg traps with a rotating transverse electric field are presented and analyzed. The equations of motion are transformed in a way that makes it possible to distinguish between the motions of magnetron and cyclotron particles, reduce the system of equations to a stationary one, and conclude that asymptotically Lyapunov stable solutions of these equations are lacking in a certain parameter interval. This allows one to optimize the confinement of charged particles in such traps.

The use of RF buckets for ion storage in the NICA is discussed. After storage, the RF2 system bunches the beam at the 22nd harmonic. Under cooling and an adiabatic increase in the RF2 voltage, a bunch shortens to the point when it fits into the separatrix of the 66th harmonic. The bunch is then recaptured into the separatrix of the 66th harmonic of the RF3 system. Ion bunches with the needed experimental parameters are formed under further cooling and an adiabatic increase in the RF3 voltage. Parasitic collisions occur at the interaction point in the process of ion storage and bunching.

A method for forming a continuous flux of monochromatic positrons with a controlled time of arrival at the target, independent of the start time in a limited start time interval. Such an ordered positron (OPF) flux allows one to construct an experimental setup for studies of solid matter structure by positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) in its most efficient version—the Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (PALS). Simultaneously, by varying the potential of the target, one can control the energy of the positrons on the target and, accordingly, the depth of their penetration into the sample under study, measuring the distribution of defects in depth with high resolution. The research has been performed at the Dzhelepov Laboratory of Nuclear Problems, JINR and has been presented at the XII International Seminar in memory of V.P. Sarantsev, 2017, Alushta, Crimea, Russia.

The NICA (Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility) is the new international research facility under construction at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna. The main targets of the facility are the following: 1) study of hot and dense baryonic matter at the energy range of the maximum baryonic density; 2) investigation of nucleon spin structure and polarization phenomena; 3) development of JINR accelerator facility for high energy physics research based on the new collider of relativistic ions from protons to gold and polarized protons and deuterons as well with the maximum collision energy of sqrt(sNN) ~11GeV (Au79+ +Au79+) and ~ 27 GeV (p+p). An average luminosity of the collider is expected at the level of 1027 cm-2 s-1 for Au (79+) and 1032 cm-2 s-1 for polarized protons at 27 GeV. Two collider detector setups MPD and SPD are under design and construction. The setup BM@N (Baryonic Matter at Nuclotron) was commissioned for data taken at the existing Nuclotron beam fixed target area. The MPD construction process is progressing well. The essential step to the SPD project was made in 2018.

A new accelerator complex is being constructed at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research as a part of the Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility (NICA) project. The goal is to conduct experiments with colliding ion beams (at the first stage of the project) and colliding polarized proton/deuteron beams (at the second stage). Transport beam channels and the systems of beam injection and extraction for synchrotrons and collider rings are an important connecting link for the whole accelerator facility. The design of the primary beam-transport channels and injection/extraction systems are presented. Special attention is paid to various aspects of dynamics of beams in their transfer between the NICA accelerators.

The NICA (Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility) project is under realization at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR, Dubna). The main goal of the project is a study of hot and dense strongly interacting matter in heavy ion collisions (up to Au) in the energy range up to s N N = 11 GeV . Two modes of operation are foreseen, collider and extracted beam operations, with two detectors: MPD and BM@N. In the Au + Au collider mode the expected average luminosity is L = 10 27 cm − 2 s − 1 . The proposed experimental program allows one to search for possible manifestations of the phase transitions and critical phenomena.

The NICA complex comprises the Booster and Nuclotron synchrotrons for accelerating particle beams to the required energy and the Collider machine, in which particle collisions are investigated. The experimental heavy-ion program deals with ions up to Au+79. The light-ion program deals with polarized deuterons and protons. Grouping of a beam coasting in an ion chamber is required in many parts of the complex. Beam grouping may effectively increase the longitudinal emittance and particle losses. To avoid these negative effects, various regimes of adiabatic grouping have been simulated and dedicated experiments with a deuteron beam have been conducted at the Nuclotron machine. As a result, we are able to construct and optimize the beam-grouping equipment, which provides a capture efficiency near 100% either retaining or varying the harmonic multiplicity of the HF system.

Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility (NICA) is a new accelerator collider complex under construction at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research. The facility is aimed at providing collider experiments with heavy ions up to Gold in the center of mass energy from 4 to 11 GeV/u and an average luminosity up to 1 · 10 27 cm -2 s -1 for Au 79+ . The collisions of polarized deuterons are also foreseen. The facility includes two injector chains, a new superconducting booster synchrotron, the existing 6-AGeV superconducting synchrotron Nuclotron, and a new superconducting collider consisting of two rings, each 503 m in circumference. The booster synchrotron and the NICA collider are based on an iron-dominated “window frame”-type magnet with a hollow superconductor winding analogous to the Nuclotron magnet. The status of the serial production and test of the magnets for the booster synchrotron and the development of the full-size model magnets for the NICA collider is presented. The test results of magnets are discussed. The status of the construction of the facility for serial tests of superconducting magnets for the NICA project is described.

The possibility of using in an electron-ion collider the so-called quasi-ordered ion beam deep cooled by electron cooling is considered. The properties of the ordered and quasi-ordered beams are described. The advantages of using the quasi-ordered beam are discussed, Submitted to NIM-A

The Low Energy Positron Toroidal Accumulator (LEPTA) at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) proposed for generation of positronium in flight has been adopted for positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS). The positron injector generates continuous slow positron beam with positron energy range between 50 eV and 35 keV. The radioactive 22Na isotope is used. In distinction to popular tungsten foil, here the solid neon is used as moderator. It allows to obtain the beam intensity of about 105 e+/s width energy spectrum characterized by full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 3.4 eV and a tail to lower energies of about 30 eV. The paper covers the characteristic of variable energy positron beam at the LEPTA facility: parameters, the rule of moderation, scheme of injector, and transportation of positrons into the sample chamber. Recent status of the project and its development in the field of PAS is discussed. As an example, the measurement of the positron diffusion length in pure iron is demonstrated.

The effect of a rotating electric field on the electrons and positrons accumulated in a Penning–Malmberg–Surko trap (increase in the lifetime of the particles and the efficiency of their accumulation, reduction of the transverse dimensions of the bunch of accumulated particles) is studied. New results of the basic character related to the resonance effect of a rotating field on the accumulation of particles at low intensities are obtained. The transition region to the high intensity bunches of accumulated particles is studied. A mechanism explaining the experimental results based on three-dimensional particle dynamics in the trap is proposed.

The formation of oxide films on surfaces of stainless steel 304 AISI annealed at 800 °C in vacuum, air and in flow N2 atmospheres was studied using variable energy positron beam technique (VEP) and Rutherford backscattering/nuclear reaction (RBS/NR) methods. In frame of these studies, Doppler broadening of annihilation line (DB) measurements were performed. For a sample heated in vacuum the oxide film ca. 8 nm is observed. For specimens oxidized in air and N2 the multi-layered oxide films of about a few hundred nanometers are recognized. The RBS/NR measurements have shown that the sample annealed in vacuum contains a lower quantity of oxygen while for samples heated in the air and N2 non-linear and rather linear time-dependency are observed, respectively. The thicknesses of total oxide films obtained from RBS/NR tests are in good agreement with the VEP results. Time evolution of the oxide growing was studied as well.

A project of the system of heavy-ion beam injection into the Booster synchrotron of the NICA accelerator complex developed at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (Dubna) is considered. The proposed system provides multivariant injection for accumulating beams with required intensity. The main methods of beam injection into the Booster are described. These are the methods of one-turn, multiturn, and multiple injections. The results of beam dynamics simulations are presented.

The paper investigates the problem of balance between the intrabeam scattering, electron cooling and radiative recombination processes in the NICA Collider working mode with using of electron cooling system. The reducing methods of radiative recombination influence due to electron cooling are discussed.

The experiment on measurement of secondary electron yield from surface of a stainless steel Kh189 sample covered with titanium nitride is performed at stand “Recuperator”. This work is related to known problem of electron clouds formation in a vacuum chamber by a propagating charge particle beam. An original method of secondary electron yield measurement was developed in this experiment. The obtained results allow one to estimate efficiency of coating nitride titanium.

The Low Energy Positron Toroidal Accumulator (LEPTA) at JINR proposed for generation of positronium in flight can be used for Positron Anihilation Spectroscopy (PAS). This is the sensitive method for microstructure studies of solid body. The structural defects such as vacancies, vacancy clusters and nanovoids with the size 0.1–10 nm can be detected. In this paper the progress in the development of PAS at LEPTA facility will be presented. The description of Doppler broadening of annihilation gamma line technique and the examples of results obtained on slow positron beam will be shown.

In a previous publication, measurements of the depolarization of a stored proton beam by interaction with a co-propagating unpolarized electron beam at low relative energy have been presented and an upper limit of about 3 x 10(7) b for the electron-proton spin flip cross-section was determined. A refined analysis presented in this paper reduces the previous upper limit by a factor of three by the introduction of a new procedure that, also makes use of non-identified particles. QC 20140806

NICA is a new accelerator collider complex under construction at JINR. The facility is aimed at providing collider experiments with heavy ions up to Uranium in a center of mass energy range from 4 to 11 GeV/u and an average luminosity up to 1027 cm -2 s-1. The collisions of polarized deuterons are also foreseen. The facility includes two injector chains, a new superconducting booster synchrotron, the existing 6 AGeV superconducting synchrotron Nuclotron, and a new superconducting collider consisting of two rings, each of about 500 m in circumference. The booster synchrotron and the NICA collider are based on an iron-dominated “window frame”-type magnet with a hollow superconductor winding analogous to the Nuclotron magnet. The status of the development of the full size model magnets for the booster synchrotron as well as for the NICA collider is presented. The test results of model magnets are discussed. The status of the creation of a facility for serial tests of superconducting magnets for the NICA project is described.

Exposed to Sandblasting P. Horodeka,b,∗, J. Dryzek, A.G. Kobets, M. Kulik, V.I. Lokhmatov, I.N. Meshkov, O.S. Orlov, V. Pavlov, A.Yu. Rudakov, A.A. Sidorin, K. Siemek and S.L. Yakovenko Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Joliot-Curie 6, 141980 Dubna, Moscow region, Russia Institute of Nuclear Physics, PAS, E. Radzikowskiego 152, 31-342 Krakow, Poland Institute of Physics, Opole University, Oleska 48, 45-052 Opole, Poland Institute of Electrophysics and Radiation Technologies, NAS of Ukraine Chernyshevsky St. 28, 61002 Kharkov, Ukraine Institute of Physics, Maria Curie-Skaodowska University, pl. M. Curie-Skaodowskiej 1, 20-031 Lublin, Poland

Principle of operation of barrier RF voltage systems that are used for stacking and acceleration of charged particles in proton synchrotrons and storage rings is presented. The description is based on two sample models of such systems: with rectangular and quasi-sinusoidal barriers. Two different methods are used for description of particle dynamics in synchrotrons with barrier RF voltage. The first method is “stepwise” analysis of particle motion in the “momentum-phase” space. This method allows to give a clear and simple description of physical principles of the method and to obtain its main properties in analytical form. However, this method is not always efficient. Therefore, a method of analysis of phase motion of particles in barrier systems based on solution of differential equations of phase motion is presented in the paper and is widely used in practice. This method allows both analytical calculations and numeric simulation, which is illustrated with the aid of supplied examples.

A scheme and a setup for the formation of the continuous monochromatic positron flux with a controllable time of arrival at the target independent of the launch time within a limited time interval are proposed. The method is described in [1]. The setup is intended for conducting experiments on measuring positron lifetime in matter using positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS). This method allows types of defects to be discriminated in materials. In the proposed version, it is possible to vary the positron energy, which allows the distribution of defects over the sample depth to be analyzed. Schemes of periodic preset-shape RF voltage generation and positron lifetime measurement are discussed.

Based on results of works on the NICA/MPD (Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna) project, the possibility of designing a heavy ion linear accelerator with high-frequency quadrupole focusing both in the input part and in the main part of the accelerator is shown. Parameters of the linear 197Au31+ ion accelerator are presented. Special attention is paid to technical questions of calculating, designing, manufacturing, and tuning the accelerator.

New scientific program is proposed at Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna aimed a study of hot and dense baryonic matter in the wide energy region from 2 GeV/amu to √s NN = 11 GeV, and investigation of nucleon spin structure with polarized protons and deuterons maximum energy in the c.m. 27 GeV (for protons). To realize this program the development of JINR accelerator facility in high energy physics has started. This facility is based on the existing superconducting synchrotron—Nuclotron. The program foresees both experiments at the beams extracted from the Nuclotron, and construction of ion collider—the Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility (NICA).

Results from experimental studies of plasma storage in a Penning-Malmberg trap at the LEPTA facility are presented. The number of stored particles is found to increase substantially when using the so-called “rotating wall” method, in which a transverse rotating electric field generated by a cylindrical segmented electrode cut into four pairs is applied to the plasma storage region. The conditions of transverse compression of the plasma bunch under the action of the rotating field and buffer gas are studied. The optimal storage parameters are determined for these experimental conditions. Mechanisms of the action of the rotating field and buffer gas on the process of plasma storage are discussed.

Scientific program of NICA (Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility) is now under realization phase at JINR (Dubna). The main goal of the program is an experimental study of hot and dense strongly interacting matter in heavy ion collisions at nucleon–nucleon centre-of-mass energies of 4–11 GeV and at average luminosity of 10 27 cm − 2 s − 1 for Au ( 79 + ) in the collider mode. In parallel, fixed target experiments at the upgraded JINR superconducting synchrotron Nuclotron are carried out with the extracted beams of various nuclei species up to gold with the momenta up to 13 GeV/c for protons. The program also foresees a study of spin physics with extracted and colliding beams of polarized deuterons and protons at the centre-of-mass energies up to 26 GeV for proton collisions. The proposed program allows to search for possible signs of the mixed phase and critical endpoint, and to shed more light on the problem of nucleon spin structure. General design and construction status of the complex is presented.

The Low Energy Positron Toroidal Accumulator (LEPTA) at JINR proposed for generation of positronium in flight can be used for positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) [1]. The positron injector of the LEPTA facility can generate continuous a slow positron beam with the intensity up to 1∙107s-1 at the energy in the range of a few eV to 100 keV and width of the spectrum 1 – 2 eV. The injector is based on radioactive 22Na isotope. The solid neon is used as a moderator to generate monochromatic beam. The parameters of the positron beam allow scanning the condensed matter in depth up to 10 microns with resolutions less than 10 nanometers and investigating layered structures for microelectronics and properties of a surface.

At present time the Low Energy Positron Toroidal Accumulator (LEPTA) at JINR is under commissioning with circulating positron beam. The LEPTA facility is a small positron storage ring equipped with the electron cooling system and positron injector. The maximum positron energy is of 10 keV. The storage ring is aimed for generation of direct fluxes of ortho-positronium (o-Ps), produced in recombination of the positron beam circulating in the ring with single pass cooling electron beam. The project has few goals: annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) to monitoring defects of nanometer sizes in materials as a function of depth managed by the positron energy in a rage of a few eV to 100 keV.

Experimental data on rates for the radiative recombination of nuclei (from helium to uranium) and various ions in interaction with an electron beam in electron cooling systems are reviewed. An analysis of the experimental data has yielded the dependence of the radiative recombination rate on the relative electron energy appreciably differently than the theoretical models obtained earlier by H. Kramers and R. Schuch. In addition, it is shown that the radiative recombination rate of nuclei in the experiment depends on the transverse electron energy as T⊥−0.82,which is also different from the results of the calculations by the theoretical model proposed by M. Bell and J. Bell. Experimental data on the cooling of ions in intermediate charge states are analyzed and the dependence of the radiative recombination rate on the charge state of the ion (electron-shell configuration) is shown. For some ion charge states, the rate of the process is of a resonance character. Loss to radiative recombination in the electron cooling system of the NICA Booster is evaluated for the Au32+, Au33+, Au50+, and Au51+ ion beams. Limitations imposed on the Au79+ beam lifetime by radiative recombination in the electron cooling system of the NICA Collider are analyzed. Possible ways to decrease the radiative recombination rate of nuclei by selecting the parameters of the electron cooling system for the NICA Collider are proposed.

The project of the Low-Energy Particle Toroidal Accumulator (LEPTA) has been developed and is put into operation at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (Dubna). The LEPTA facility is a small positron storage ring equipped with an electron cooling system. The project positron energy is 2–4 keV. The main purpose of the facility is to generate an intense flux of positronium atoms (the bound state of the electron and positron). The LEPTA storage ring was commissioned in September 2004. The positron injector was designed in 2005–2010, and the beam transport channel was constructed in 2011. The experiments on electron and positron injection from the injector into the accumulator were started in August 2011. The results are reported here.

A heavy-ion collider, i.e., the Nuclotron-based Ion Collider Facility (NICA), is being developed at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna, Russia. The aim of this project is to construct a new accelerator complex for conducting experiments with colliding ion beam (at the first stage of the project) and with polarized proton and deuteron beams (at the second stage). The NICA accelerator complex will consist of two linear accelerators, two synchrotrons, two collider rings, and beam transportation lines. The magnetic lattice and diagnostic and correction systems for the NICA beam transportation lines are described in this report.

A high-voltage electron cooling system (ECS) with electron energy reaching 2.5 MeV for the NICA collider is being designed at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research. The ECS is being developed in correspondence with the available experience in manufacturing similar systems from around the world. The main feature of this design is the use of two cooling electron beams (one beam per collider ring); electrons are accelerated and decelerated by a common high-voltage generator. A conceptual project of high-voltage ECS has been developed. The cooler consists of three tanks filled with SF6 gas under pressure. Two of them contain electron-beam forming systems; each system consists of two electron guns, two electron collectors, and accelerating-decelerating tubes placed in a longitudinal magnetic field generated by a solenoid. The third tank contains a high-voltage generator based on the voltage-multiplying circuit.

The Nuclotron-based Ion Collider Facility (NICA) is a new accelerator complex under construction at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) for experiments with colliding beams of heavy ions up to gold at energies as high as 4.5 × 4.5 GeV/u aimed at studying hot and dense strongly interacting nuclear matter and searching for possible indications of the mixed phase state and critical points of phase transitions. This facility comprises an ion source of the electron-string type, a 3-MeV/u linear accelerator, a 600-MeV/u superconducting booster synchrotron (Booster), a Nuclotron (upgraded superconducting synchrotron with a maximum energy of 4.5 GeV/u for ions with the charge-to-mass ratio Z/A = 1/3), and a collider consisting of two vertically separated superconducting rings with an average luminosity of 1027 cm−2 s−1 in an energy range over 3.0 GeV/u. Beam cooling is supposed to be used in two NICA elements, the Booster, and the collider rings. The Booster is intended for the storage of 197Au31+ ions to an intensity of about 4 × 109 particles; their acceleration to the energy 600 MeV/u, which is sufficient for the complete stripping of nuclei (an increase in the injection energy and the charge state of ions makes the requirements for vacuum conditions in the Nuclotron less stringent); and the formation of the necessary beam emittance using the electron cooling system. Two independent beam-cooling systems, a stochastic one and an electron one, are supposed to be used in the collider. The parameters of the cooling systems, the optimum mode of operation for the collider, and the arrangement and design of the elements of the systems are discussed.

A new scientific program is proposed at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna aimed at studies of hot and dense baryonic matter in the wide energy range from 2 GeV/u kinetic energy in fixed target experiments to \(\sqrt {s_{NN} } = 4 - 11\) GeV/u in the collider mode. To realize this program the development of the JINR accelerator facility in high-energy physics (HEP) has been started. This facility is based on the existing superconducting synchrotron—the Nuclotron. The program foresees both experiments at the beams extracted from the Nuclotron, and the construction of a heavy-ion collider—the Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility (NICA) which is designed to reach the required parameters with an average luminosity of L = 1027 cm−2 s−1.

The project of Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility NICA/MPD (+MultiPurpose Detector) under development at JINR (Dubna) is presented. The general goals of the project are providing of colliding beams for experimental studies of both hot and dense strongly interacting baryonicmatter and search for the mixed phase and critical endpoint and spin physics in collisions of polarized protons (deuterons). The first program requires providing of heavy-ion collisions in the energy range of $$\sqrt {s_{NN} } = 4 - 11$$ GeV at average luminosity of L = 1 × 1027 cm−2 s−1 for 197Au79+. The polarized beams mode is proposed to be used in energy range of $$\sqrt s = 12 - 27$$ GeV (protons) at luminosity of L ≥ 1 × 1030 cm−2 s−1. The report contains description of the facility scheme and characteristics in heavy-ion operation mode, status and plans of the project development.

The project of a superconducting medical synchrotron for carbon therapy in the ion energy range from 140 to 400 MeV/n is discussed in this paper. This project is aimed at developing and building a medical synchrotron on the basis of superconducting technologies at JINR under the construction of the Nuclotron accelerator complex. A linear accelerator with alternating phase focusing is proposed for injecting carbon ion into the synchrotron, while it is planned to use a superconducting gantry weighing about 150 t for delivering radiation treatment to patients from all directions.

NICA is the new accelerator complex being under design and construction at JINR. The facility is aimed at providing collider experiments with heavy ions up to Uranium in a center of mass energy range from 4 to 11 GeV/u and an average luminosity up to 1027 cm-2 · s-1. The collisions of polarized deuterons are also foreseen. The facility includes two injector chains, a new superconducting Booster synchrotron, the existing 6 A · GeV superconducting synchrotron-Nuclotron, and the new superconducting Collider consisting of two rings of about 500 m circumference each. The Booster synchrotron and the NICA Collider are based on an iron-dominated “window frame”- type magnet with a hollow superconductor winding analogous to the Nuclotron magnet. The status of the design and construction of the full size model magnets for the Booster synchrotron as well as for the NICA Collider is presented.

A new project NICA/MPD ( N uclotron-based I on C ollider f A cility/ M ulti P urpose D etector) is under active development now at JINR (Dubna). The main goal of the project is to start in the coming years an experimental study of hot and dense strongly interacting matter and search for possible signs of the mixed phase and critical endpoint in heavy ion collisions. This study should be carried out at center-of-mass ion collision energies of s N N = 4 ÷ 11 GeV (nucleon-nucleon equivalent) and an average luminosity of L = 10 27 cm − 2 s − 1 for Au (79+). Another goal of the project is aimed at the study of spin physics with colliding beams of polarized protons and deuterons. The SPD (Spin Physics Detector) setup will be designed and built for that purpose. This report contains the physics motivation and main characteristics of the facility, the scheme and operation scenario for heavy ion collision mode and the current concept of the MPD setup. Status and plans of the project realization schedule are presented as well.

The MultiPurpose Detector (MPD) is designed to study heavy-ion collisions at the Nuclotron-based heavy Ion Collider fAcility (NICA) at JINR, Dubna. Its main components located inside a superconducting solenoid are a tracking system composed of a silicon microstrip vertex detector followed by a large volume time-projection chamber, a time-of-flight system for particle identification and a barrel electromagnetic calorimeter. A zero degree hadron calorimeter is designed specifically to measure the energy of spectators. In this paper, all parts of the apparatus are described and their tracking and particle identification (PID) parameters are discussed in some detail.

NICA is a new accelerator complex being constructed at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research; the main task of this complex is to perform collider experiments for ion beams up to uranium with energies of up to 3.5 × 3.5 GeV/nucleon. This complex includes an electron string ion source, a 6 MeV/nucleon linear accelerator, a booster, the Nuclotron, and a collider with an average luminosity of 1027 cm2 s−1. The main tasks of the booster are to accumulate up to 4 × 109 197Au32+ ions, to accelerate to 600 MeV/nucleon (sufficient enough energy for completely stripping nuclei), to reduce the requirements of vacuum conditions for the Nuclotron, and to form the necessary beam emittance using an electron cooling system. The specific features of the NICA booster and the requirements for the basic systems of the synchrotron and their parameters are presented in this paper.