Progress in development of Nuclotron accelerator complex

The Nuclotron superconducting synchrotron was constructed in 1987–1992 [1]; it is the world’s first synchrotron based on fast cycling “window frame” electromagnets with a superconducting coil. For a design field of dipole magnets of 2 T, the magnetic rigidity is 45 T m, which corresponds to the energy of heavy nuclei (for example, gold) of 4.5 GeV/nucleon. The Nuclotron accelerator complex is currently being upgraded (the Nuclotron-M project); this upgrade is considered a key part of the first stage of fulfilling the new Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) project: the Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility and Multi-Purpose Detector (NICA/MPD). The most important task of this new project is the preparation of basic Nuclotron systems for its reliable operation as part of the NICA accelerator complex. Basic results of activity on the project, which started in 2007, are presented and the results of the last Nuclotron runs are analyzed.