The studies are conducted both at “home” accelerator facilities and in the largest accelerator centres: CERN, BNL, GSI, and others.

The laboratory staff members contribute much to joint research at the experimental facilities: COMPASS, NA61, NA62, STAR, CMS, ALICE, ATLAS, HADES, and many others.

A project was designed and has been under way of an accelerator complex at the laboratory. The complex includes the upgraded accelerator Nuclotron-M, a booster and the heavy nuclei collider NICA. Two collider facilities are being developed – MPD (Multi Purpose Detector) and SPD (Spin Physics Detector), as well as the set-up BM@N (study of Baryonic Matter at the Nuclotron) to investigate beams extracted from the Nuclotron.

The main aim of the NICA project is to conduct experimental research in extreme states of hadron (strongly interacting) matter in the domains of phase transitions. The research will be conducted at the interacting ion beams in the range of 4-11 GeV/n, at the polarized proton and deuteron beams (with longitudinal and transverse polarization), as well as at extracted ion beams, and polarized proton and deuteron beams.

The laboratory staff members are the authors of distinctive ideas to solve problems in accelerator techniques and technology of superconducting magnets that have been acknowledged and developed in largest accelerator centres of the world. The laboratory specialists are well-known for their elaborations of detector equipment. They made a considerable contribution to the development of experimental facilities at CERN, BNL, GSI.Now, in collaboration with leading specialists from these centres, they design detector systems for set-ups of the NICA complex, FAIR and the LHC facilities’ upgrade.

It is planned to establish a multi-access centre in the frames of the joint RF-JINR megaproject NICA to conduct research in relativistic nuclear physics and innovative and applied studies, employing uniquebeams of relativistic ions that are provided by the accelerators of thecomplex. The massive innovation potential is in the use of unique beams of the Nuclotron and the booster in radiobiological research and electronics testing, for the tasks to check the conditions for living organisms and equipment in strong space radiation. Facilities and new methods of ray therapy are developed for the medical-biological studies and treatment of oncological diseases.

The studies in the frames of the programme “Energy and Transmutation” are characterized as highly potential. They are aimed at the work-out of methods to rehandle (deactivate) nuclear energy industry wastes using accelerators, and the solution of the issue of electro-nuclear facilities’ development.

The experiments of first priority are the projects “Baikal” and DANSS at the Kalinin NPS. The neutrino telescope at Baikal is a part of an integrated neutrino research net that allows global monitoring of all interplanetary space. The project DANSS is aimed at the development of a compact neutrino spectrometer that does not contain any dangerous liquid and can be positioned very close to the operation area of an industrial atomic reactor.

DLNP scientists take part in world-class experiments to study the process of the double neutrinoless beta decay (SuperNEMO, GERDA-MAJORANA), neutrino oscillations (Daya Bay/JUNO, NOvA, OPERA). At the Kalinin NPS experiments in the measurement of the neutrino magnetic moment, search for sterile neutrino, direct measurements of antineutrino from the reactor and studies of coherent neutrino scattering are held (GEMMA, DANSS, vGeN).

Another trend of studies at DLNP is the search for rare and/or prohibited processes. The laboratory specialists take part in experiments that have maximal sensitivity to new physics, such as search for radiation decay into electron and photon (the MEG project) and search for muon-electron conversion on nuclei (the projects MU2E, COMET). DLNP physicists are involved in the studies of high energy space rays, in experiments of the search for dark matter (the projects “Baikal”, TAIGA, EDELWEISS). Staff members of the laboratory have obtained physics results of fundamental value at the LHC collider in the ATLAS experiment.

The activities in the development and upgrading of the Phasotron are very important for physics and applied research, designing of semiconductor, scintillation and cryogenic detectors and development of new generation detection systems. DLNP physicists take part in upgrading of cyclotrons both in Russia and abroad (Poland, Serbia, Japan). Specialized cyclotrons for radiological medicine are under elaboration: for hadron therapy and acquisition of PET-isotopes (Isotopes for positron-emission tomographs).

A Medical-Technical Complex (MTC) has been developed and operates on the basis of the Phasotron. The technique of the 3D conformal proton irradiation of deep located tumours has been implemented here for the first time in Russia. With this method, the maximum of the generated dose distribution most precisely corresponds to the target shape that makes it possible to treat oncological patients with various neoplasms very effectively. Over the last few years about 100 patients annually have taken the MTC proton beam treatment.

The research topics in elementary particle physics at BLTP are specified by physics programmes of international collaborations (the LHC, RHIC, FAIR, K2K, etc.) and JINR basic facilities, primarily, the NICA/MPD project.

The studies are focused on the precision checking of the Standard Model (SM), new physics beyond its borders, hadron structure and spin physics, phase transitions in hot and dense hadron matter and the mixed quark-hadron phase, neutrino physics, the dark matter problem and astrophysics aspects in elementary particle physics.

The following studies are also important in nuclear and heavy ion physics: exploring the structure of the nuclei that are far from the stability line; nuclear reactions; few-body systems; heavy ion interactions at intermediate and high energies. In the frames of these studies, new methods that exceed the limits of the mean field and random phase approximations are evolved, together with new strict approaches in the theory of nuclear reactions, models and methods of description of the nuclear matter state equation.

Theoretical research in condensed matter physics is aimed at the support of experimental studies of the characteristics of various modern nanomaterials and nanostructures. Special attention is paid to the analysis of the systems with strong electron correlation, to the studies of new cooperate phenomena, new types of ordering, magnetism in low-dimension systems and quantum critical phenomena.

The research at BLTP is interdisciplinary; it is directly integrated into international projects and is closely coordinated with JINR experimental programmes.

As an educational centre for young scientists and students from many countries, BLTP has widened its traditional activities in this sphere, having implemented the scientific-educational project “Dubna International School on Theoretical Physics (DIAS-TH)” and opened new chairs of theoretical physics of the Moscow Physical-Technical Institute and the International University “Dubna”, closely cooperating with the University Centre (UC) of JINR.

The structure, the level and the style of the scientific and educational work of the laboratory are in tune with the tasks and challenges in the modern theoretical physics.

The scientific programme of the laboratory includes experimental research in the synthesis and studies of nuclear physics and chemical properties of new superheavy elements, fusion and fission reactions and multi-nucleon transfer in heavy-ion collisions; studies of the properties of nuclei on the border of the nucleon stability and mechanisms of nuclear reactions with accelerated radioactive nuclei; studies of interaction of heavy ions with various materials (polymers, semiconductors, electronic components of space equipment, etc.).

Six new heavy elements with the atomic numbers 113-118 have been synthesized for the recent years, along with about 50 new isotopes of transactinoid elements. The existence of “the stability island” of superheavy elements with the centre near Z = 114 and N = 184 has been for the first time directly testified in experiments.

The year 2012 was marked with a significant event – the joint committee of the International Unions of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) and Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) officially acknowledged the priority of the Russian-American group of scientists in the discovery of new superheavy elements of the D.Mendeleev Table – 114 and 116 – at the accelerator complex of the Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions (LNR) of JINR. These elements are named flerovium – in honour of the laboratory and its founder Academician G.Flerov – and livermorium – in honour of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the city of Livermore (USA).

The studies of chemical properties of superheavy elements with Z = 112, 113 and 114 have been successfully developing. In particular, it was discovered that element 112 is a heavier homolog of Zn-Cd-Hg in its chemical properties, i.e. it is referred to group 12 of the D.Mendeleev Periodic Table.

In the frames of the seven-year plan of the development of JINR, the first priority project of the laboratory is the DRIBs-III project that includes the development of “the factory of superheavy elements” on the basis of the new accelerator DC-280 which is aimed at obtaining high intensive (10-20 pμA) ion beams of average mass (Ca-48, Ti-50, Ni-64, etc.) for further development of studies on the synthesis and research of properties of superheavy elements. The development of the project implies the upgrade of the accelerator complex for radioactive beams on the basis of the cyclotrons U-400 and U-400M that will serve the purpose of obtaining monochromatic beams of radioactive and stable nuclei.

Applied research at LNR is connected with studies in the field of nanotechnology, radiation resistance of materials, surface modification. Their further progress is connected to the development of a specialized hall equipped with modern devices for analysis and testing (the joint project of JINR and SC ROSNANO).

A special issue in applied research at LNR is the construction of heavy ion accelerator complexes for industrial production of track membranes: the DC-60 cyclotron for Eurasian State University (Astana, Kazakhstan); the DC-110 cyclotron for the company NANOKASKAD in the Special Economic Zone “Dubna”. Over the last few years the amount of experiments on testing electronic components has considerably grown for the purposes of the Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos). This research is conducted in wide international cooperation with JINR Member States and leading nuclear physics centres of the world.

Annually, above 400 senior students and post-graduates from universities of JINR Member States have training and practice courses under the guidance of leading scientists of the Institute.

A big amount of applications for the courses encourages the administration to invite most gifted young people to work later at JINR.

The UC internet site (uc.jinr.ru) is regularly updated in the contents of the training courses on particle physics and quantum field theory, mathematical and statistical physics, condensed matter physics, physics of nanostructures and neutron physics, nuclear physics, physical facilities and information technology.

It is considered a good approach to organize international student practice courses in research trends of JINR and a new summer student programme to attract talented young people to the Institute. The participants of these programmes listen to lectures by leading scientists and specialists of JINR and do academic research projects in scientific laboratories of the Institute. The constant growth of the applications number demonstrates big interest of young scientists from JINR Member States in participation in these programmes. The UC is the direct organizer of these international summer scientific schools.

In the frames of international cooperation close ties are maintained with universities of Belarus, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Ukraine. Since 2014 a programme has been started for students and post-graduates of JINR Member States that makes it possible for them to take part in fundamental and applied research in scientific centres of the Czech Republic.

In 2020, the JINR University Centre launched a new programme for students from all over the world. It is called INTEREST, an abbreviation of the English “INTErnational REmote Student Training”. The Programme allows students to get acquainted with the activities of the Institute and conduct research projects remotely.

JINR and CERN organize annual scientific schools for teachers of physics from JINR Member States.

The Engineering Research Team has been organized on the basis of the UC to implement educational programmes to train engineers-physicists at operating modern facilities and at those that are under construction, along with a department for elaboration and development of educational programmes.

A complex of university laboratories is developed at JINR to train physicists for the basic chairs of JINR and Dubna State University. It is equipped with modern accessories and unique facilities. Laboratory practice classes are held here in atomic physics, optics and molecular physics. A university laboratory for nuclear physics studies is also launched.

The UC is equipped with modern facilities to hold video conferences for meetings of JINR and CERN scientists with students from JINR Member States.

The UC also organizes training courses and skill improvement for workers, engineers and office employees.