PROJECT OF THE NUCLOTRON-BASED ION COLLIDER FACILITY (NICA) AT JINR

The Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility (NICA) is the new accelerator complex being constructed at JINR aimed to provide collider experiments with heavy ions up to uranium at maximum energy (center of mass) equal to 9 GeV/u. It includes new 6 Mev/u linac, 440 MeV/u booster, upgraded SC synchrotron Nuclotron and collider consisting of two SC rings, which provide average luminosity of 1027cm-2s-1. General goal of the project is to start in the coming 5-7 years experimental study of hot and dense strongly interacting QCD matter and search for possible manifestation of signs of the mixed phase and critical endpoint in heavy ion collisions. The NICA and the Multi Purpose Detector (MPD) are proposed for these purposes. Accelerator complex NICA is being built on the experience and technological developments at the Nuclotron facility and incorporates new technological concepts. The new facility will allow also an effective acceleration of light ions to the Nuclotron maximum energy and an increase of intensity of polarized deuteron beams up to the level above 1010 particles/cycle. The scheme of the facility, its operation scenario and beam dynamics are presented in the report