Special Issue of the Materials of the V International Congress on Energy Fluxes and Radiation Effects (Tomsk, Russia, 2016)Maksim Trigub, Georgiy Osokin, Alexander KonovodNational Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, 30, Lenin Avenue, Tomsk, Russiaemail: geosokin@tpu.ruThe present issue of the journal is based on the materials of the V International Congress on Energy Fluxes and Radiation Effects 2016 (EFRE 2016) that was held on October 2 to 7, 2016 in Tomsk (Russia). This large scientific forum gathers together scientists, developers and representatives of knowledge-intensive enterprises that have relevance to physics and technology. This year, the Congress was dedicated to the 120th anniversary of the National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University.The history of the Congress as a joint scientific event dates back to 2000; it traditionally includes three conferences: International Symposium on High-Current Electronics (SHCE), International Conference on Radiation Physics and Chemistry of Condensed Matter (RPC) and International Conference on Modification of Materials with Particle Beams and Plasma Flows (CMM). However, each of these large conferences has its own lasting history.In 2016, the International Symposium on High-Current Electronics was arranged for the 19th time. The participants have presented the results of fundamental studies and applied outcomes in the fields of high-power pulsed energy engineering and electronics (Pulsed Power), physics and application of high-power electron and ion beams, high- and low-temperature gas discharge plasma, physics of high-energy treatment and extreme states of matter, electric pulsed technologies. Noteworthy, the symposium took place in the year of the 40th anniversary of USSR scientific discovery of explosive electron emission. This physical phenomenon—being one of the basics of high-current electronics—determines the processes in pulsed vacuum discharge, enables the operation of high-current electron accelerators, finds application in beam pumping of high-power pulsed gas lasers, switches and other electric pulsed devices.The 17th International Conference on Radiation Physics and Chemistry of Condensed Matter is traditionally organised starting from 1969. This conference is the largest both on national and international scale in the fields of radiation physics and chemistry of inorganic substances, investigation of fundamental problems of elementary, nonlinear and catastrophic processes in condensed matter under fluxes of hard radiation.The International Conference on Modification of Materials with Particle Beams and Plasma Flows was held for the 13th time beginning from 1988. The high level of this event is due to the participation of the representatives of outstanding scientific schools that stand at the origins of this scientific and technological field.Regular organisation of EFRE Congress strengthens the interdisciplinary bonds between three grand fields of physics and technology playing increasingly important role in the technological development of society. Pulsed energy generation and high-current electronics provide equipment for electric discharge, plasma beam and radiation technologies that intensely fill and update the technological niches in various branches of industry, defence, chemistry, biology and medicine. The participants of the forums get comprehensive picture of scientific and applied problems and have an opportunity to look at them from the perspective of theoretical and experiment studies and engineering.The place of the event has been chosen for a reason: Tomsk is a city having strong scientific and educational network including outstanding physical and technological schools. It was Tomsk where many of the scientific topics of the Congress germinated. Each of the forums gathers the representatives of abundant student pool of Tomsk.The main organisers of the Congress—Tomsk Polytechnic University and Institute of High-Current Electronics of SB RAS, which soon will celebrate its 40th anniversary—have strong bonds in the field of scientific research, educational activities, management, and represent a splendid example of real integration of academic and university-level science.In 2016, the Congress gathered leading national and international scientists, manufacturers and consumers of vacuum and electron beam equipment, accelerators and radio-frequency devices, representatives of field-specific organisations and business-structures. The 500 participants of the Congress included specialists from Russia, Republic of Belarus, Brazil, Germany, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, People’s Republic of China, Republic of Korea, USA, Ukraine, France and Czech Republic.The conferences were conducted with the financial support of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (projects nos. 16–02–20530, 16–08–20408, 16–02–20464).