BM@N (Baryonic Matter at Nuclotron) is the first experiment operating and taking data at the Nuclotron/NICA ion-accelerating complex.The aim of the BM@N experiment is to study interactions of relativistic heavy-ion beams with fixed targets. We present a technical description of the BM@N spectrometer including all its subsystems.

First physics results of the BM@N experiment at the Nuclotron/NICA complex are presented on π+ and K+ meson production in interactions of an argon beam with fixed targets of C, Al, Cu, Sn and Pb at 3.2 A GeV. Transverse momentum distributions, rapidity spectra and multiplicities of π+ and K+ mesons are measured. The results are compared with predictions of theoretical models and with other measurements at lower energies.

— Baryonic Matter at Nuclotron (BM@N) is a fixed target experiment at the NICA—Nuclotron accelerator complex (JINR). It is aimed at studies of high-density nuclear matter in nuclear-nuclear (up to gold-gold) collisions. This paper focuses on identification of light charge particles (π, K , p ) and fragments (He 3 , d/He 4 , t) in the BM@N experiment using the time-of-flight method. For now, the method allows separating the light particles up to 2 GeV/ c and the light fragments up to 4 GeV/ c .

The BM@N (Baryonic Matter at Nuclotron) is the first experiment in operation at the NICA-Nuclotron accelerator complex. The BM@N scientific program comprises the study of dense nuclear matter produced in heavy-ion collisions in the intermediate energy range between the SYS-18 and NICA/FAIR facilities. The first experiments were performed with deuteron and carbon beams with kinetic energy ranging from 3.5 to 4.5 GeV per nucleon on fixed targets. An extended configuration of the BM@N setup was realized in the next runs with argon and krypton beams. First preliminary physics results are presented on $$\Lambda $$ hyperon production in carbon–nucleus interactions at a beam kinetic energy of 4 GeV per nucleon. Signals of $$\Lambda $$ hyperons, charged pions, kaons and light nuclear fragments are identified in argon–nucleus interactions. The performance of the upgraded BM@N central tracker is evaluated for the reconstruction of strange particles and hypernuclei in heavy-ion interactions.

Baryonic Matter at Nuclotron (BM@N) is a fixed target experiment at the NICA accelerator complex (JINR) aiming at studies of nuclear matter in relativistic heavy ion collisions. Triple-GEM (Gas electron multiplier) detectors have been identified as suitable for the BM@N central tracking system, which is located inside the analyzing magnet. A cathode strip chamber (CSC) is mounted outside the magnet to improve the momentum resolution of the experimental setup. Seven GEM detectors and one CSC are integrated into the BM@N experimental setup and data acquisition system. The structure of the BM@N GEM and CSC detectors and the results of the study of their characteristics are presented. The full configuration of the GEM/CSC tracking system is shortly reviewed.

For precise start time determination a Beam Fragmentation T-0 Counter (BFTC) is under development for the Time-of-Flight Wall of the Compressed Baryonic Matter Spectrometer (CBM) at the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) at Darmstadt/Germany. This detector will be located around the beam pipe, covering the front area of the Projectile Spectator Detector. The fluxes at this region are expected to exceed 10(5) cm(-2) s(-1). Resistive plate chambers (RPC) with ceramic composite electrodes could be use because of their high rate capabilities and radiation hardness of material. Efficiency >= 97 %, time resolution <= 90 ps and rate capability >= 10(5) cm(-2) s(-1) were confirmed during many tests with high beam fluxes of relativistic electrons. We confirm the stability of these characteristics with low resistive Si3N4/SiC floating electrodes for a prototype of eight small RPCs, where each of them contains six gas gaps. The active RPC size amounts 20x20 mm(2) produced on basis of Al3O2 and Si3N4/SiC ceramics. Recent test results obtained with relativistic electrons at the linear accelerator ELBE of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf with new PADI-10 Front-end electronic will be presented.

BM@N (Baryonic Matter at the Nuclotron) is a fixed target experiment aimed to study nuclear matter in the relativistic heavy-ion collisions at the Nuclotron accelerator in JINR. The BM@N tracking system is based on Gas Electron Multipliers (GEM) detectors mounted inside the BM@N analyzing magnet. The Cathode Strip Chamber (CSC) is installed outside the magnet. The CSC is used for improvement of particles momentum identification. The structure of the GEM detectors and the CSC prototype and the results of study of their characteristics are presented. The GEM detectors and CSC are integrated into the BM@N experimental setup and data acquisition system. The results of first tests of the GEM tracking system and CSC in last runs are shortly reviewed.

Baryonic Matter at Nuclotron (BM@N) is a fixed target experiment at the NICA accelerator complex (JINR) aiming at studies of nuclear matter in relativistic heavy ion collisions. Detectors based on Gas Electron Multipliers (GEM) are used for the central tracking system located inside the BM@N analyzing magnet. A Cathode Strip Chamber (CSC) is installed right downstream the magnet to improve the global momentum resolution. Characteristics of the GEM and CSC detectors are presented. The performance of the seven GEM detectors and one CSC, which were integrated into the BM@N setup, is briefly reviewed.

We report recent advances in R&D on the Beam Fragmentation and TO Counter (BFTC) for the CBM experiment, based on RPCs with floating electrodes made of resistive ceramic material. An optimal value of the ceramics bulk resistivity has been determined to be about 5.10(9) Omega.cm. RPCs with such electrodes show even characteristics and stable operation under particle fluxes of up to 150 kHz/cm(2), with the detection efficiency above 90%.

Substantial experimental and theoretical efforts worldwide are devoted to explore the phase diagram of strongly interacting matter. At LHC and top RHIC energies, QCD matter is studied at very high temperatures and nearly vanishing net-baryon densities. There is evidence that a Quark-Gluon-Plasma (QGP) was created at experiments at RHIC and LHC. The transition from the QGP back to the hadron gas is found to be a smooth cross over. For larger net-baryon densities and lower temperatures, it is expected that the QCD phase diagram exhibits a rich structure, such as a first-order phase transition between hadronic and partonic matter which terminates in a critical point, or exotic phases like quarkyonic matter. The discovery of these landmarks would be a breakthrough in our understanding of the strong interaction and is therefore in the focus of various high-energy heavy-ion research programs. The Compressed Baryonic Matter (CBM) experiment at FAIR will play a unique role in the exploration of the QCD phase diagram in the region of high net-baryon densities, because it is designed to run at unprecedented interaction rates. High-rate operation is the key prerequisite for high-precision measurements of multi-differential observables and of rare diagnostic probes which are sensitive to the dense phase of the nuclear fireball. The goal of the CBM experiment at SIS100 (sqrt(s_NN) = 2.7 - 4.9 GeV) is to discover fundamental properties of QCD matter: the phase structure at large baryon-chemical potentials (mu_B > 500 MeV), effects of chiral symmetry, and the equation-of-state at high density as it is expected to occur in the core of neutron stars. In this article, we review the motivation for and the physics programme of CBM, including activities before the start of data taking in 2022, in the context of the worldwide efforts to explore high-density QCD matter.

Resistive Plate Chambers with ceramic electrodes are the main candidates for a use in precise multi-channel timing systems operating in high-radiation conditions. We report the latest R&D results on these detectors aimed to meet the requirements of the forward T0 counter at the CBM experiment. RPC design, gas mixture, limits on the bulk resistivity of ceramic electrodes, efficiency, time resolution, counting rate capabilities and ageing test results are presented.

In this paper the analysis of structure changes in series of amorphous alloys with different Fe/Ni and Fe/Co ratio and Cr addition is made. It has been shown that within temperature range 23(0)C < T < 450(0)C the structure of alloys keeps it's amorphous character and only a slight changes in heat flow occur. At temperatures above 450(0)C the structure evolution depends of the Fe/Ni and Fe/Co ratio and some dopants.

The subject of this study is the change of the electrical resistivity of Fe-based metallic glasses during heat treatment. Electrical resistivity is a structure-sensitive characteristic of materials. In metallic glasses, the scattering of conduction electrons on the disordered structure is the main mechanism responsible for the electrical resistivity. Hence amorphous metallic alloys have a much higher residual resistivity as compared to their crystalline analogs. It is typical for metallic glasses that the temperature coefficient of resistivity (TRC) is smaller than for the corresponding crystalline materials, and it can be either positive or negative.

Charged hadron identification in the Compressed Baryonic Matter experiment (CBM) is realized via the Time-of-Flight method [1]. For this purpose the CBM-ToF collaboration designed a Time-of-Flight wall composed of Multi-gap Resistive Plate Chambers (MRPCs). Due to the high interaction rate in CBM of 10 MHz the key challenge is the development of high rate MRPCs above 25 kHz/cm2 which become possible after the development of low resistive glass with extremely good quality. In this article we present the actual conceptual design of the ToF-wall which is subdivided in three parts namely the outer wall, the inner wall and the forward zone that are discussed in detail.

Time of flight of a minimum ionizing particle along a fixed base has been measured with a 100 ps accuracy by means of a Dielectric Resistive Plate Chamber (DRPC) with 4 x 0.3 mm gas gaps. DRPC timing characteristics have been studied with different applied voltages, discriminating thresholds and beam intensities. It may be stated that the time-of-flight resolution of gaseous detectors developed within the ALICE experiment has reached the level of the best known scintillation counters.