On 9 February 2021, JINR took part in a solemn meeting “Science in the integrated Programme for the Development of Engineering, Technology, and Scientific Research (DETS)” held in Moscow. The State Corporation “Rosatom” organized the event on the occasion of the Day of Russian Science.

Vice-Director Sergey Dmitriev represented the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research at the meeting. He introduced to participants of the event the history of the synthesis of superheavy elements, current results of one of the JINR flagship projects “Superheavy Element Factory” and its future tasks on the synthesis of elements 119, 120, 121 of the Periodic Table. Sergey Dmitriev noted a significant role of the Rosatom’s participation in the project and expressed gratitude to the State Corporation for the support of the project and including it in the DETS Programme. This will undoubtedly give a new positive impetus to this research. The JINR Vice-Director also highlighted that in fact, the task of the national prestige in Russia is the birth of neutron-excess stable isotopes of titanium-50, nickel-64 (Electrokhimpribor plant, Lesnoy city), and, most importantly, of highly enriched actinide isotopes of curium-248, berkelium-249, and californium-251 (SSC RIAR, Dimitrovgrad; VNIIEF, Sarov). In combination with the solution of technical challenges of the project, this will allow maintaining the current leadership and will provide an opportunity to implement a long-term programme on the discovery of new chemical elements.

Photo by State Corporation “Rosatom”

Representatives of the State Corporation “Rosatom”, the NRC “Kurchatov Institute”, institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia, JINR, and others took part in the meeting. Participants discussed scientific research in the fields of atomic energy. Presented reports covered such topics as the structure and scientific tasks of the DETS federal projects, the development of technologies for two-component nuclear power with a closed nuclear fuel cycle, issues of the creation of a modern experimental and bench basis, as well as the improvement of nuclear power plant technologies.

Director General of the State Corporation “Rosatom” Alexey Likhachev highlighted when speaking to the audience, “The entire nuclear industry has originated from the Russian Academy of Sciences. And in this regard, the Academy is the cradle of the nuclear industry, nuclear knowledge, and nuclear science.”

Background information:

The DETS Programme is a comprehensive programme for the development of equipment, technologies, and scientific studies in the fields of the use of nuclear power in the Russian Federation for the period up to 2024. The integrated DETS Programme, which is in fact the 14th national project of Russia, includes five federal projects, namely “The two-component nuclear power”, “Experimental and bench base”, “Thermonuclear and plasma technologies”, “New materials and technologies”, and “Reference power units of nuclear power stations”.