Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility Project Research Articles

Feasibility Study of Hypernucleus Production at NICA/MPD

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.

The Nuclotron-based Ion Collider Facility Project. The Physics Programme for the Multi-Purpose Detector

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.

Time-projection chamber for Multi-Purpose Detector of NICA project at JINR

Time Projection Chamber (TPC) is the main tracker of the Multi-Purpose Detector (MPD). The detector will operate at one of the beam interaction points of collider NICA (Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility) [1] and it is optimized to investigate heavy-ion collisions in the energy range from 4 to 11 GeV/nuclon. At the average luminosity of 1027 cm−2⋅s−1 for gold collisions at 9 GeV/nuclon the event rate will reach up to 7 kHz. The emphasis of this paper is made on the TPC front end electronics based on novel ASIC chips, other systems of the TPC are shortly described.

The Nuclotron-based Ion Collider Facility Project. The Physics Programme for the Multi-Purpose Detector

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.

Status of the NICA project at JINR

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 √SNN ~11GeV (Au79+ +Au79+) and ~ 27 GeV (p+p). Two collider detector setups MPD and SPD are foreseen. The setup BM@N (Baryonic Matter at Nuclotron) is commissioned for data taken at the existing Nuclotron beam fixed target area. The MPD construction is in progress whereas the SPD is still at the beginning design stage. An average luminosity of the collider is expected at the level of 1027 cm-2 s-1 for Au79+ and 1032 cm-2 s-1 for polarized protons at 27 GeV. The status of NICA design and construction work is briefly described below.

NICA project at JINR: status and prospects

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.

Prospects for the dense baryonic matter research at NICA

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 sNN=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=1027cm−2s−1. The proposed experimental program allows one to search for possible manifestations of the phase transitions and critical phenomena.

NICA project management information system

The science projects growth, changing of the efficiency criteria during the project implementation require not only increasing of the management specialization level but also pose the problem of selecting the effective planning methods, monitoring of deadlines and interaction of participants involved in research projects. This paper is devoted to choosing the project management information system for the new heavy-ion collider NICA (Nuclotron based Ion Collider fAcility). We formulate the requirements for the project management information system with taking into account the specifics of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR, Dubna, Russia) as an international intergovernmental research organization, which is developed on the basis of a flexible and effective information system for the NICA project management.

Superconducting Magnets for the NICA Accelerator Collider Project

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.

Status of the NICA project at JINR

The NICA (Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility) project is now under active 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 (up to Au) collisions at the centre-of-mass energies up to 11 GeV per nucleon. Two modes of operation are foreseen, collider mode and extracted beams, with two detectors: MPD and BM@N. The both experiments are in preparation stage. An average luminosity in the collider mode is expected as 10E27 cm-2 s-1 for Au (79+). Extracted beams of various nucleus species with maximum momenta of 13 GeV/c (for protons) will be available. A study of spin physics with extracted and colliding beams of polarized deuterons and protons at the energies up to 27 GeV (for protons) is foreseen with the NICA facility. The proposed program allows one to search for possible signs of phase transitions and critical phenomena as well as to shed light on the problem of thenucleon spin structure.

Status of the NICA project at JINR

The NICA (Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility) project is now under active 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 (up to Au) collisions at the centre-of-mass energies up to 11 GeV per nucleon. Two modes of operation are foreseen, collider mode and extracted beams, with two detectors: MPD and BM@N. The both experiments are in preparation stage. An average luminosity in the collider mode is expected as 10E27 cm-2 s-1 for Au (79+). Extracted beams of various nucleus species with maximum momenta of 13 GeV/c (for protons) will be available. A study of spin physics with extracted and colliding beams of polarized deuterons and protons at the energies up to 27 GeV (for protons) is foreseen with the NICA facility. The proposed program allows one to search for possible signs of phase transitions and critical phenomena as well as to shed light on the problem of the nucleon spin structure.

Beam-cooling methods in the NICA project

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.

Beam transportation lines for the NICA project

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.

Polarized hadrons beams in NICA project

The report is dedicated to the problem of formation and maintenance of polarized proton and deuteron colliding beams in the collider of Nuclotron-based Ion Collider Facility (NICA). The NICA project is under development at JINR presently. The schemes of polarized proton and deuteron beams acceleration in the superconducting synchrotron Nuclotron and formation of both longitudinal and transverse particle polarization in the collider are presented. The problems of long term conservation of the beams polarization in the collider are discussed as well.

Status of the NICA project at JINR

The NICA (Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility) project is now under active 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 (up to Au) collisions at the center-of-mass energies up to 11 GeV per nucleon. Two modes of operation are foreseen, collider mode and extracted beams, with two detectors: MPD and BM@N. The both experiments are in preparation stage. An average luminosity in the collider mode is expected to be 1027 cm−2 s−1 for Au (79+). Extracted beams of various nuclei with maximum momenta of 13 GeV/c (for protons) will be available. A study of spin physics with extracted and colliding beams of polarized deuterons and protons at energies up to 27 GeV (for protons) is foreseen with the NICA facility. The proposed program allows one to search for possible signs of phase transitions and critical phenomena as well as to shed light on the problem of the nucleon spin structure.