To power the fast kicker magnet for releasing ions from the booster accelerator into the Booster–Nuclotron channel of the NICA accelerator complex (JINR, Dubna), generators based on TPI1-10k/75 pseudospark switches were developed, manufactured, and tested. The choice of the switch was due to the unique requirements for the parameters of the output pulse and the impossibility of using solid-state high-voltage switches due to the high radioactive background in the beam bypass areas at the complex. To ensure a front of 500 ns and a pulse plateau duration of 500 ns in order to reduce the influence of the inductance of the magnet conductors of 650 nH, a decision was made to use its bipolar “counter” power supply. Thanks to this, currents of more than 30 kA were obtained at a charging voltage of the forming line of up to 50 kV. The article describes the generator circuits and presents the results of their tests at the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, and directly at the workplace at the NICA complex.

— The review presents the experiments performed with the KEDR detector at the e^ + e^ - collider VEPP-4M in the energy range of √(s) = 1.84–3.88 GeV. The cross section of e^ + e^ - annihilation to hadrons was measured at 22 points of this range and the search for narrow resonances was conducted below 3.1 GeV. The masses of J / . -0emψ and ψ (2S) mesons were measured with a record accuracy better than 3 ×10^ - 6 ; their partial and total widths were determined. Measurements of the tau lepton mass and masses of charged and neutral D mesons were performed with high precision. The measurements of the ψ (3770) parameters are discussed, and attention is drawn to some inconsistency of the procedure employed by the Particle Data Group for determining its parameters.

We present the study of the decay J/ψ → ρπ . The results are based on of 5.2 million J/ψ events collected by the KEDR detector at the VEPP-4M collider. The branching fractions are measured to be ℬ ( J/ψ → ρπ ) = (2 . 072 ± 0 . 017 ± 0 . 062) ∙ 10 − 2 and ℬ ( J/ψ → π + π − π 0 ) = (1 . 878 ± 0 . 013 ± 0 . 051) ∙ 10 − 2 , where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. Our results are more precise than the previous relative measurements.

A kicker magnet has been developed for the NICA accelerator complex at the JINR (Dubna) for ejecting ions into the beamline that connects the Booster and Nuclotron synchrotrons. An asymmetric design of the magnet without a ferromagnetic core is used to obtain the required magnetic field of 0.17–0.18 T in the region of the extracted beam. A power-supply system is proposed for the kicker magnet; it is based on two generators with different polarities, which are connected from opposite ends. This kicker magnet has made it possible to successfully extract He and Fe ions from the NICA Booster in accordance with the specified parameters.

Using the 1.32 pb^-1 statistics collected at the J/ψ peak with the KEDR detector at the VEPP-4M e^+e^- collider, we measured the branching fractions of J/ψ meson decays to the final states 2( π ^+π ^-)π ^0 , K^+K^-π ^+π ^-π ^0 , 2( π ^+π ^-) and K^+K^-π ^+π ^- . The results obtained for the decays J/ψ→ 2( π ^+π ^-)π ^0 , J/ψ→ K^+K^-π ^+π ^-π ^0 contradict the measurements performed by other groups in the last century, but agree well with recent results of BABAR and BESIII collaborations.

Abstract Using the 1.32 $$\hbox {pb}^{-1}$$ pb - 1 statistics collected at the $$J/\psi $$ J / ψ peak with the KEDR detector at the VEPP-4M $$e^{+}e^{-\, }$$ e + e - collider, we measured the branching fractions of $$J/\psi $$ J / ψ meson decays to the final states 2( $$\pi ^{+}\pi ^{-})\pi ^{0}$$ π + π - ) π 0 , $$K^{+}K^{-}\pi ^{+}\pi ^{-}\pi ^{0}$$ K + K - π + π - π 0 , 2( $$\pi ^{+}\pi ^{-})$$ π + π - ) and $$K^{+}K^{-}\pi ^{+}\pi ^{-}$$ K + K - π + π - . The results obtained for the decays $$J/\psi \rightarrow $$ J / ψ → 2( $$\pi ^{+}\pi ^{-})\pi ^{0}$$ π + π - ) π 0 , $$J/\psi \rightarrow K^{+}K^{-}\pi ^{+}\pi ^{-}\pi ^{0}$$ J / ψ → K + K - π + π - π 0 contradict the measurements performed by other groups in the last century, but agree well with recent results of BABAR and BESIII collaborations.

Using the 1.32 pb(-1) statistics collected at the J/psi peak with the KEDR detector at the VEPP-4M e(+)e(-) collider, we measured the branching fractions of J/psi meson decays to the final states 2(pi(+)pi(-))pi(0), K+K- pi(+)pi(-)pi(0), 2(pi(+)pi(-)) and K+K- pi(+)pi(-). The results obtained for the decays J/psi -> 2(pi(+)pi(-))pi(0), J/psi -> K+K- pi(+)pi(-)pi(0) contradict the measurements performed by other groups in the last century, but agree well with recent results of BABAR and BESIII collaborations.

Using the 1.32 pb^-1 statistics collected at the J/ψ peak with the KEDR detector at the VEPP-4M e^+e^- collider, we measured the branching fractions of J/ψ meson decays to the final states 2( π ^+π ^-)π ^0 , K^+K^-π ^+π ^-π ^0 , 2( π ^+π ^-) and K^+K^-π ^+π ^- . The results obtained for the decays J/ψ→ 2( π ^+π ^-)π ^0 , J/ψ→ K^+K^-π ^+π ^-π ^0 contradict the measurements performed by other groups in the last century, but agree well with recent results of BABAR and BESIII collaborations.

We review the recent results obtained by the KEDR experiment in the charmonium energy range. They include the measurements of J/psi meson total and partial widths and exclusive branching fractions, study of D+ and D-0 meson masses and R between 1.8 and 7.0 GeV.

The present work continues a series of the KEDR measurements of the R value that started in 2010 at the VEPP-4M e+e− collider. By combining new data with our previous results in this energy range we measured the values of Ruds and R at nine center-of-mass energies between 3.08 and 3.72 GeV. The total accuracy is about or better than 2.6% at most of energy points with a systematic uncertainty of about 1.9%. Together with the previous precise R measurement at KEDR in the energy range 1.84–3.05 GeV, it constitutes the most detailed high-precision R measurement near the charmonium production threshold.

An instrument has been developed and manufactured to measure the uniformity of the layer thickness deposited inside ceramic vacuum chambers of electron-beam injection devices (kickers). Using this instrument, it is possible to measure this parameter at an aperture size starting with 1 cm and at different aperture geometries. The measurement range is 0.1−100 µm. The necessity of such measurements is substantiated, various types of sensors are described, and results for some vacuum chambers of the injection kickers in the MAX-IV synchrotron radiation facility (Sweden) are presented.

A new-generation dissector has developed on the basis of a modified PIF-01 image converter tube for the timing diagnostics of charged particle beams in accelerators. Pilot models of the detector have been produced. The time resolution obtained in the dynamic tests at the laser facility is ~2 ps, which is better by more than an order of magnitude than the corresponding parameter of the available LI-602 dissector. The pilot models of the new dissector have been successfully tested in experiments at the Metrology Light Source (MLS) accelerator (Berlin, Germany).

A system for excitation of coherent oscillations of a bunch of particles was created to study the beam dynamics at the VEPP-4M electron-positron collider; it consisted of a pulse generator, a beam deflection device (kicker), and a control and synchronization system. The system has two independent channels for the excitation of horizontal and vertical oscillations and makes it possible to excite oscillations of a given bunch of particles. For observations of beam oscillations, a system for measuring the position of the beam in the reverse mode is used, as well as a fast multichannel photomultiplier tube (profilometer). The design and results of operation of high-voltage nanosecond shock generators with a current pulse duration of 200–250 ns at the base, a voltage up to 25 kV and a current up to 2 kA are described. Using constructive solutions, the durations of the fronts of the output pulses were reduced, which made it possible to avoid the excitation of neighboring bunches. Testing the generators for their working loads gave the following results: a horizontal impact pulse of 30 ns and a vertical impact of 50 ns, a horizontal impact pulse tip duration of ~20 ns, a maximum pulse amplitude of 25 kV, and a time instability (jitter) of ±1 ns. The results of measurements of the beam parameters obtained using this system are presented.

Present work continues a series of the KEDR measurements of the $R$ value that started in 2010 at the VEPP-4M $e^+e^-$ collider. By combining new data with our previous results we measured the values of $R_{text{uds}}$ and $R$ at nine points of the center-of-mass energy between 3.08 and 3.72 GeV. The total accuracy is about or better than $2.6%$ at most of energy points with a systematic uncertainty of about $1.9%$.

The product of the electronic width of the ψ(2S) meson and the branching fraction of its decay to the muon pair was measured in the e+e−→ψ(2S)→μ+μ− process using nine data sets corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 6.5 pb−1 collected with the KEDR detector at the VEPP-4M electron–positron collider:Γee×Bμμ=19.3±0.3±0.5eV. Adding the previous KEDR results on hadronic and leptonic channels, the values of the ψ(2S) electronic width were obtained under two assumptions: either with the assumption of lepton universalityΓee=2.279±0.015±0.042keV or without it, summing up hadronic and three independent leptonic channelsΓee=2.282±0.015±0.042keV.

The commutation characteristics of TPI-type pseudospark switches, depending on the parameters of trigger circuits, are studied. An influence of the trigger pulse rise time on the pseudosparks time jitter is explored. It has been shown that the pseudospark switches can be triggered on a pre-ionization electrode with a cathode and a grid, simultaneously grounded. The double and the triple gapped deuterium and hydrogen switches were explored. The time jitter values of 1-2 ns on the deuterium switches triggered on the pre-ionization electrode have been achieved.