NICA heavy-ion collider at JINR (Dubna). Status of accelerator complex and first physics at NICA.

Abstract

The NICA facility is under active realization at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR, Dubna). Its main goal includes experimental studies of hot and dense baryon rich matter forming in heavy ion collisions to search for possible manifestations of phase transitions and critical phenomena, as well as investigation of nucleon spin structure with polarized proton and deuteron beams. The NICA general design, construction status, and prospects for physics program are presented.