Studies of baryonic matter in the BM@N and MPD experiments at Nuclotron/NICA

New acceleration complex NICA (Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility) as well as MultiPurpose Detector (MPD) is underway at Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (Dubna, Russia) for the study of heavy ion collisions. Strangeness and hypernuclei production is presently under active experimental and theoretical investigation and is of particular interest of the NICA/MPD program. We combine several dynamical transport models and the MST cluster finding procedure to calculate the production of light nuclei and hypernuclei in heavy-ion collisions at NICA energies. The emphasis will be put on the NICA prospects for the study of the production of hypernuclei and detector performance in the reconstruction of hypernuclei species.

The project NICA (Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility) is aimed to study hot and dense baryonic matter in heavy ion collisions in the energy range up to √sNN=11 GeV at the Nuclotron extracted beams and at the NICA collider with average luminosity of L = 1027 cm-2s-1 (for 197Au79). This study will be performed with two experiments, BM@N (Baryonic Matter at Nuclotron) and MPD (MultiPurpose Detector) at the NICA collider.

The project NICA (Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility) aims to study hot and baryon rich QCD matter in heavy ion collisions in the energy range [see formula in PDF] = 4 − 11 GeV. The rich heavy-ion physics program will be performed at two experiments, BM@N (Baryonic Matter at Nuclotron) at beams extracted from the Nuclotron, and at MPD (Multi-Purpose Detector) at the NICA collider. This program covers a variety of phenomena in strongly interacting matter of the highest baryonic density, which includes study of collective effects, production of hyperon and hypernuclei, in-medium modification of meson properties, and event-by-event fluctuations.

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 an experimental study of hot and dense strongly interacting matter in heavy ion (up to Au) collisions at center-of-mass energies up to 11 GeV per nucleon. The physics program will be performed at two experiments, BM@N (Baryonic Matter at Nuclotron) at beams extracted from the Nuclotron, and at MPD (Multi-Purpose Detector) at the NICA collider. This program covers a variety of phenomena in strongly interacting matter of the highest net baryonic density.

The Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility (NICA) is a new accelerator complex being constructed at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR). The general objective of the project is to provide beams for the experimental study of hot and dense strongly interacting QCD matter. The heavy ion programme includes two planned detectors: BM@N (Baryonic Matter at Nuclotron) a fixed target experiment with extracted Nuclotron beams; and MPD (MultiPurpose Detector) a collider mode experiment at NICA. The accelerated particles can range from protons and light nuclei to gold ions. Beam energies will span GeV with luminosity L ≥ 1 × 1030 cm−2s−1 and GeV and average luminosity L = 1 × 1027cm−2s−1(for 197Au79+), respectively. A third experiment for spin physics is planned with the SPD (Spin Physics Detector) at the NICA collider in polarized beams mode. A brief overview of the MPD is presented along with several observables in the MPD physics programme.

The project NICA (Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility) is aimed to study hot and dense baryonic matter in heavy-ion collisions in the energy range up to 11.0 AGeV . The plan of NICA accelerator block development includes an upgrade of the existing superconducting (SC) synchrotron Nuclotron and construction of the new injection complex, SC Booster, and SC Collider with two interaction points (IP). The heavy-ion collision program will be performed with the fixed target experiment Baryonic Matter at Nuclotron (BM@N) at the beam extracted from the Nuclotron, and with Multi-Purpose Detector (MPD) at the first IP of NICA Collider. Investigation of nucleon spin structure and polarization phenomena is foreseen with the Spin Physics Detector (SPC) at the second IP of the Collider.

The project NICA (Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility) is aimed to study dense baryonic matter in heavy-ion collisions in the energy range up to $ \sqrt{s_{NN}} = 11$ GeV with average luminosity of L = 1027 cm-2s-1 (for 197Au79). The experimental program at the NICA collider will be performed with the Multi-Purpose Detector (MPD). We report on the main physics objectives of the NICA heavy-ion program and present the main detector components.

Feasibility study of heavy-ion collision physics at NICA JINR

The Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility (NICA) is a new accelerator complex under construction at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR), Dubna, Russia. The main goal of the planned facility is to provide accelerated particle beams for a wide range of experimental studies of the hot and dense strongly interacting QCD matter generated during collisions. The NICA project in its entirety allows for a fixed target experimental site, as well as two interaction points. The heavy ion programme includes two planned detectors: Baryonic Matter at Nuclotron (BM@N) - a fixed target experiment with extracted Nuclotron beams; and a collider-mode experiment at one of the interaction points - the MultiPurpose Detector (MPD). For the NICA collider, the accelerated beams by design will consist of particles ranging from protons and light nuclei to fully stripped gold ions. Beam energies will span with luminosity Lpp ≥ 1 × 1030 cm−2s−1, and , and average luminosity LAuAu = 1 × 1027 cm−2s−1. The second interaction point is planned to be occupied by a third experiment - Spin Physics Detector (SPD), which will focus on the investigation of nucleon spin structure and polarization phenomena through the use of polarized proton and deuteron beams. A brief overview of the Multi-Purpose Detector is presented along with the major sub-detector systems. The MPD research programme will focus on multiple observables including collective flow, particle multiplicity and spectra. Special attention will be given to strangeness production and vector mesons, event-by-event fluctuations and hadron femtoscopy measurements. Several feasibility studies are referenced.

One of the main directions of the scientific research at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna is the relativistic nuclear and spin physics. The new JINR flagship program in this direction is now realized within the project NICA (Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility). The main goal of the NICA scientific 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 1027 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 center-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. The survey of the main directions of the JINR scientific research program and general design and construction status of the NICA complex are presented.

Nuclotron-based ion collider facility (NICA) is an international project-accelerator collider complex under construction at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna. 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 1·1027 cm−2·s−1 for Au79+. Collision experiments with polarized deuterons and protons 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 planned FAIR synchrotron SIS100 has to deliver high intensity beams for the FAIR project at GSI, Darmstadt. This machine will use fast-cycling 4 T/s magnets with a magnetic field up to 2 T. The NICA booster synchrotron, the NICA collider, and the heavy ion synchrotron SIS100 are based on iron-dominated “window frame”—type magnets with a hollow superconductor winding analogous to the Nuclotron magnet. The status on the manufacturing and testing of the NICA magnets and the SIS100 superconducting quadrupole and corrector magnets are discussed.

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.

Prospects for the dense baryonic matter research at NICA

The Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility (NICA) project is under active realization at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR, Dubna). The main goal of the project is experimental study of baryon rich QCD matter in heavy ion (up to Au) collisions at centre-of-mass energies up to 11 GeV per nucleon. Two modes of the operation is foreseen, collider mode and extracted beams, with the two detectors, MPD and BM{\at}N. In the collider mode the average luminosity is $L = 10^{27} cm^{-2} s^{-1}$ for Au(79+). Extracted beams of various nuclei species with maximum momenta 13 GeV/c (for protons) will be available. The NICA project also foresees a study of spin physics with the detector SPD with extracted and colliding beams of polarized deuterons and protons at centre-of-mass energies up to 27 GeV (for protons). The NICA experimental program allows to search for possible signs of the phase transitions and critical phenomena as well as to shed light on the problem of nucleon spin structure. Hereafter, feasibility studies of the observables, which are most sensitive to such phenomena, are presented.

The NICA (Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility) project at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR, Dubna, Russia) is aimed at the construction of a new accelerator complex for heavy ions and polarized particles. Heavy-ion collisions at NICA are planned to be studied in the region of the highest net-baryon density, which favors the formation of bound nuclear systems with strangeness hypernuclei. The multipurpose detector (MPD) at NICA is designed to reconstruct interactions of relativistic nuclei in a high-multiplicity environment. In this paper, we report the feasibility study results for the reconstruction of Λ3H, Λ4H and Λ4He in Bi+Bi collisions at the nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy, sNN= 9.2 GeV.