“Russia will build the world’s best research infrastructure in the field of megascience”

The President of the National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute” Mikhail Kovalchuk stated this during a meeting of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences on April 23. The event was dedicated to the development of synchrotron and neutron research, as well as research infrastructure.

Opening the meeting, the head of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Academician Gennady Krasnikov, noted the high relevance of the issue under discussion for strengthening the scientific and technological sovereignty of the country.

In his report, President of the Kurchatov Institute Research Center Mikhail Kovalchuk spoke about the prospects for the development of megascience class infrastructure and conducting fundamental research on its basis. He noted that the approach to the development of research infrastructure should be comprehensive – instead of creating separate facilities in the regions, it is advisable to “build a national network for the development of synchrotron and neutron research with a diversified scientific program.”

“Within the next 5-8 years, we will have the best megascience research infrastructure in the world, which practically covers the entire country. This is a source of RIF in the Far East on the basis of a university, there is a unique base of climate control systems. The second part is SKIF in Novosibirsk. And then in the central part (of the country) the PIK reactor, the most powerful high-flux research reactor in Gatchina, the Sila synchrotron laser in Protivo. Plus a modernized synchrotron at the Kurchatov Institute and a resurgent synchrotron in the city of Zelenograd”“, said Mikhail Kovalchuk, adding that today there are more than 70 synchrotrons of various sizes in the world.

The President of the National Research Center “Kurchatov University” noted the high level of trust on the part of the state in science, and also spoke about the close cooperation between the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Kurchatov Institute.

“It is the Academy of Sciences that can ensure the proper development and functioning of such a large-scale project”“, the scientist emphasized.

Vice-President of the National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Blagov, in his report, spoke about the stages of construction of research infrastructure facilities, as well as the creation and supply of scientific equipment as part of the program for the development of synchrotron and neutron research.

“As part of the program, 12 infrastructure facilities are being created: 5 synchrotron radiation sources, including two fourth-generation sources, two neutron sources based on reactors and accelerators, and five facilities of the distributed Nuclear Medicine Center”he said.

In turn, the director of the Institute of Catalysis named after. G.K. Boreskov SB RAS, RAS academician Valery Bukhtiyarov, director of the Institute of Nuclear Physics named after. G.I. Budker SB RAS, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Pavel Logachev and Deputy Director for Scientific Work of the Center for Collective Use “SKIF”, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Jan Zubavichus reported to the members of the Presidium on the development of the Center for Collective Use “SKIF”.

Also, the First Deputy Director of the National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute” for science Yulia Dyakova (about the complex of nuclear medicine), the Director of the St. Petersburg Institute of Nuclear Physics named after. B.P. Konstantinov National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute” Sergei Gorchakov, head of the Kurchatov Synchrotron-Neutron Research Complex Nikita Marchenkov.

Source of information and photos: RAS press service