In March 2017, a new ACCULINNA-2 fragment separator was launched in the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions JINR in the frames of the implementation of the DRIBs-III project.

The design parameters of this facility were experimentally confirmed. The production of radioactive ion beams (RIB) in the fragmentation reaction ¹⁵Ne + Be was started. The RIB intensity is on average 25 times higher in comparison with the ACCULINNA-1 separator which has been operating in the FLNR since 1996. This project has been implemented by the FLNR staff jointly with the SIGMAPHI French company since September 2011. The new ACCULINNA-2 separator is the basis for future studies of the FLNR in the fields of light exotic nuclei near the nucleon stability borders.

A laboratory seminar which was held on 13 April under the chairmanship of FLNR Scientific Leader, Academician Yu.Ts. Oganessyan, with the participation of the JINR Directorate was dedicated to this significant event. The seminar included areport on the results of test experiments (speaker S.A. Krupko), a presentation of the the first-priority experimental program for the new facility as well as a plan for further development of the FLNR experimental base in the fields of exotic nuclei for this and subsequent seven-year periods (speakers A.S. Fomichev and L.V. Grigorenko); the progress of preparation for the upgrade of the U-400M source of high intensity primary beams for the ACCULINNA-2 separator was discussed (speakers G.G. Gulbekian, B.N. Gikal, S.L. Bogomolov).

JINR Director, Academician V.A. Matveev congratulated the FLNR staff for the achieved results.