Studies of baryonic matter at the BM@N experiment (JINR)

Abstract

BM@N (Baryonic Matter at Nuclotron) is the first experiment undertaken at the accelerator complex of NICA-Nuclotron. The aim of the BM@N experiment is to study interactions of relativistic heavy ion beams with fixed targets. The scientific program of the BM@N experiment comprises studies of nuclear matter in the intermediate energy range between experiments at the SIS and NICA/FAIR facilities. The BM@N experiment has recorded first experimental data in December 2016. The experimental runs were performed in the deuteron and carbon beams of kinetic energy per nucleon ranging from 3.5 to 4.5 GeV. The extended configuration of the BM@N set-up was realized in recent runs with the argon and krypton beams. The first measurement of short range correlations of nucleons in carbon nucleus was performed in inverse kinematics with the carbon beam and liquid hydrogen target. The experimental program covering physics of heavy ion collisions as well as first experimental results on the production of hyperons are presented.