On 26 September, the Workshop on Superconducting Resonators and Fast Cycling Magnets took place at the Laboratory of High Energy Physics at JINR as part of cooperation between the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research and the Institute of Modern Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IMP CAS). The parties discussed the issues of designing new technologies and prospects of developing the projects of the NICA and HIAF (High Intensity Heavy Ion Accelerator Facility) Accelerator Complexes.

IMP CAS Deputy Director He Yuan headed the delegation of 10 leading Institute’s specialists. During their visit to Dubna, the Chinese scientists toured the VBLHEP JINR infrastructure and learned about the progress of work at the NICA Accelerator Complex. In cooperation with colleagues from the Joint Institute, they conducted several experiments with fast cycling magnets and discussed the results obtained.

VBLHEP Acting Director Andrey Butenko opened the meeting. He detailed JINR’s internal structure, development goals, and research areas, emphasising the Institute’s significance to the international scientific community. Special attention was paid to the NICA Megascience Project and the work of the MPD, BM@N, SPD, and ARIADNA Collaborations. At the end of his speech, Andrey Butenko highlighted the JINR scientific and educational programmes for students and early career scientists and specialists. These provide young people with a unique opportunity to gain practical experience in fundamental and applied research.

“The Joint Institute for Nuclear Research is always striving to expand international cooperation,” VBLHEP Acting Director Andrey Butenko said. “Our laboratory is always open for joint scientific and educational events and active personnel exchange with the IMP.”

VBLHEP JINR Deputy Director for Scientific Work Hamlet Khodzhibagiyan started the first session of the meeting. He made a presentation on the progress of the engineering of a new prototype fast ramping superconducting dipole magnet (FRDM) with a field of 2 T and a rate of increase of 10 T/s. Magnets of this type can provide future heavy ion accelerators such as the HIAF with even higher beam intensity. During the visit of the Chinese delegation, JINR employees, under the leadership of Hamlet Khodzhibagiyan and Dmitry Nikiforov, achieved the planned rate of increase of the magnetic field of 10 T/s in a superconducting dipole magnet, which is also a world record.

An IMP researcher Doctor Chen Yuquan talked about the specifics of the production of superconducting magnets at the IMP CAS. He presented the characteristics of a new prototype fast cycling magnet with a magnetic field of 4 T and a magnetic field increase rate of about 2 T/s, developed and partially tested at the IMP CAS. The further development of the HIAF Project requires magnets with a field of 4 T and increase rate of 4 T/s, which are record parameters yet to be achieved at the same time. The IMP CAS and JINR researchers believe that the accomplishments and technologies of the Joint Institute implemented in the creation of a fast cycling magnet with a field of 2 T and a field increase rate of 10 T/s will allow the JINR employees to develop the necessary technologies and manufacture a fast cycling superconducting magnet with these record parameters for the HIAF Project. In addition, taking into account the obtained results and the prospective characteristics of the new superconducting magnet, the Chinese scientist stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation between the two parties for the further development of FRDM technologies in the HIAF and NICA Projects.

Head of the VBLHEP JINR High-Temperature Superconducting Magnets Sector Mikhail Novikov shared the experience of the Joint Institute in developing technologies for creating fast cycling magnets using second-generation HTSP materials for the New Nuclotron Synchrotron.

The second session of the meeting, dedicated to the technologies of production and application of superconducting radio frequency resonators (SRF), was opened by Dmitry Bychenok, Head of the Physics and Technics Laboratory at the Institute for Nuclear Problems of Belarusian State University (INP BSU). In his speech, he shared the results of the Belarusian scientists’ tests of superconducting resonators, which will be a part of the section of the light ions linear accelerator under development as part of the NICA Project.

An IMP CAS researcher Doctor Tan Teng shared information about a joint IMP-JINR project to create superconducting microwave resonators for this linear accelerator. In his speech, he presented the roadmap of the project, which provides for expanding cooperation with colleagues from the Joint Institute, and shared the results of testing the first two superconducting resonators manufactured at IMP for JINR. Doctor Teng spoke about the development of the IMP CAS scientific infrastructure in Lanzhou and Huizhou and presented large-scale projects of Chinese science centres, such as HIAF, CAFE2 (China Accelerator Facility for Superheavy Elements), and CiADS (China initiative Accelerator Driven System).

A researcher at the VBLHEP JINR LU-20 Injection Sector Egor Tamashevich spoke about the cooperation between JINR and IMP CAS on the creation of a cryomodule with superconducting resonators for the new light ions linear accelerator of the NICA injection complex. He detailed the specifics of the production and modernisation of components for the new cryomodule and plans of creating the engineering and infrastructure facilities at the NICA Accelerator Complex required to commission the accelerating superconducting sections.

The NICA and HIAF Projects research mentioned above are being implemented as part of the cooperation agreement between JINR and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The final part of the meeting was devoted to polarised ions sources. Doctor Zhai Yaojie from IMP CAS shared the peculiarities of developing new ion sources at the Institute. Senior researchers at the VBLHEP JINR Polarised Ion Source Departmentt Alexander Solovyov and Roman Kuzyakin dwelled on the polarisation research programme within the projects at NICA.

Following the event, the participants expressed a shared idea of the importance of continuing close cooperation as part of joint projects. It is planned to form new work groups that will focus not only on fast-cycling magnets and superconducting resonators, but also on polarised ions sources.

“This period can be called a true “spring” for nuclear physics. In order to strengthen bonds between JINR and the IMP and achieve even more significant results, we need to expand the range of scientific cooperation in new areas. A wide range of common interests and joint projects reveals great opportunities for us. I am sure that next year we will be able to share the first results of our partnership and take it to a new level,” IMP CAS Deputy Director He Yuan said.