In the frame of the NICA (Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility) ion collider upgrade a new light ion LINAC for protons and ions will be built in collaboration between JINR and BEVATECH GmbH. While ions with a mass-to-charge ratio up to 3 will be fed into the NUCLOTRON ring with an energy of 7 MeV/u, protons are supposed to be accelerated up to an energy of 13 MeV using a third IH structure. This energy upgrade comprises a third IH structure, a dual-use Debuncher cavity as well as an extension of the LLRF control system built on MicroTCA technology.

A joint team from the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) (Dubna, Russia) and Bevatech GmbH (Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany) has been developing a new light-ion linac LILac as part of the NICA project. The resonator design and the beam dynamics calculations are presented.

Within the upgrade scheme of the injection complex of the NICA project and after a successful beam commissioning of a heavy ion linac, Bevatech GmbH will build a first part of a new light ion linac as an injector for the Nuclotron ring. The linac will provide a beam of polarised protons and light ions with a mass to charge ratio up to 3 and an energy of 7 MeV/u. The mandate of the Linac does not only include the hardware for the accelerating structures, focusing magnets and beam diagnostic devices, but also the LLRF control softand hardware based on the MicroTCA.4 standard in collaboration with the MicroTCA Technology Lab at DESY. An overview of the Linac is presented in this paper.

In the frame of the NICA ion collider upgrade a new light ion frontend linac (LILac) for protons and ions with a mass to charge ration of up to 3 will be built. LILac will consist out of 3 parts: 1. a normal conducting Linac up to 7 AMeV, 2. a normal conducting proton energy upgrade up to 13 AMeV, 3. a superconducting section. The normal conducting Linac up to 7 AMeV will be built in collaboration between JINR and Bevatech GmbH. The technical design of LILac up to 7 AMeV is discussed in this paper.

A source of polarized deuterons and protons (SPI) has been created as part of the experimental program on accelerated polarized beams at the Nuclotron superconducting synchrotron. The electrostatic accelerating tube has been replaced by an accelerator with spatially homogeneous quadrupole focusing (RFQ linac), and the power-supply system of the ion sources has been also replaced to work with the source of polarized ions on the preinjector of the LU-20 linear accelerator. This article presents the results of 52–54 experiments on the acceleration of polarized protons and light ions in the Nuclotron.

In the frames of the NICA project development [1] the old HV fore-injector of the LU-20 linac, which was in operation from 1974, was replaced by the new RFQ accelerator in spring 2016. The first Nuclotron technological run with the new LU-20 fore-injector was performed in June 2016. During the following two runs of total duration of about 2500 hours the proton and deuteron (polarized and unpolarized), lithium and carbon beams were successfully injected and accelerated in the Nuclotron ring. Main results of the RFQ commissioning and experience of its operation are presented in this paper.

The new accelerator complex Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility (NICA) is under development and construction at JINR, Dubna. This complex assumed to operate using two linear injectors: the modernized Alvarez-type linac LU-20 as the injector of polarized and light ions and the new Heavy Ion Linear Accelerator HILAc-injector for heavy ions beams. The new heavy ion linac, which accelerates ions with q/A-values above 0.16 to 3.2 MeV/u, is under commissioning. The main components are a 4-Rod-RFQ and two IH-drift tube cavities, operated at 100.625 MHz. Most recent results of the HILac commissioning with a carbon beam from a laser ion source are presented.