Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics
Lomonosov Moscow State University

Department for Nuclear Research

A branch of SINP MSU was organized in 1961 as a training facility for personnel training for the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna. In 2011 the branch was re-organized into the Department for Nuclear Research (DNR).

The branch was founded by the MSU Professors: the first JINR Director Dmitry Blokhintsev, Vladimir Veksler and the Academician Sergey Vernov, who in 1960 became a Director of SINP and a Head of the Nuclear Physics Division of the MSU Physics Department. MSU Rector, Academician Ivan Petrovsky, the Dean of the Physics Department, Professor Vasily Fursov, SINP Director, Academician Dmitry Skobeltsyn also took active part in the development of the branch. Yuri Lobanov was the first Director of the branch, after him Ernast Uruzakov (1972-1975), Anatoly ABrosimov (19750-1982), Anatoly Kulikov (1982-1994) leaded the branch. From 1994 till present DNR is leaded by Tatiana Tetereva.

At varying times Academicians Vladimir Veksler, Vladimir Kadyshevsky, Anatoly Logunov, Bruno Pontekorvo, Ilya Frank, Corresponding Members of the Academy of Sciences Dmitry Blokhintsev, Mikhail Meshcheryakov, Fedor Shpiro and others gave lectures in the Branch. Many leading scientists of JINR participated in the training activity (both in the lectures and in practical studies). A number of monographs and study guides are published basing on the lectures given in the Branch. Among them are the following: D. Blokhintsev "Principal problems of quantum mechanics", V.Babikov "Phase functions method in quantum mechanics", S.Bilenky "Introduction to the Feynman diagram technology" and "Lectures on physics of neutrino and lepton-nucleon processes", G.Kopylov "Basics of resonance kinematics" and "Theoretical training on nuclear and atomic physics", V.Solovyov "Theory of complicated nuclei" and "Theory of the atomic nucleus: nuclear models".

The number of the graduates of the Branch is over one thousand taking into account the students, post-graduates of MSU and other institutes. All of them continued their activity in the leading Russian research institutes: JINR, SINP, Lebedev Physical Institute, Institute for Nuclear Research, Institute of Experimental Physics, etc. Many graduates became leading specialists of JINR, heads of educational and scientific centers both in Russian Federation and former republics of the USSR. The Deans, Pro-rectors, Directors of the Institutes and even Presidents of the Academies are among them. Currently the students from Tula, Kostroma, Tver, Nizhny Novgorod, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Ekaterinburg and other Russian towns study at the Branch according to the individual plans of the MSU Chairs programs.

Besides the basic chairs other chairs of the Nuclear Department also collaborate with the Branch. First of all, among them are the Chair of the Atomic Nuclei Physics and Quantum Theory of Collisions and the Chair of Quantum Statistics and Field Theory. Although these Chairs were always located in Moscow, part of the students studied in Dubna according to individual plans. During a number of years Academician Nikolay Bogolyubov was simultaneously the Head of the Chair of Quantum Statistics and Field Theory and the Director of JINR. He made significant contribution to the development of the Branch, as SINP Director (in 1980-1991) Igor Teplov, SINP Deputy Director, Professor Leonid Kornienko, Deputy Head of the Department of Nuclear Physics Goryaga, and Professor Tyapkin, who in 1986-2003 was a Head of the Chair of Elementary Particles.

Training of the students in Dubna began in October 1961. The education process in DNR is kept with some twists from the very beginning. At the beginning of the 7th semester students come to Dubna and attend specific courses given by the leading scientists of JINR, and also do special practical training in DNR and scientific laboratories of JINR. Simultaneously they come to know the research problems of different scientific groups. From the 8th semester they become full members of the scientific groups of JINR laboratories, doing educational and practical training and executing student essays and diploma thesis under the leadership of the leading scientists. So the Branch for the students joint education in MSU and scientific research in one of the biggest research centers in the world - JINR.

Currently two MSU Chairs work on the basis of DNR: the Chair of Elementary Particles Physics founded simultaneously with the Branch (the Head is scientific leader of JINR Academician Vladimir Kadyshevsky) and the Chair of Neutronography organized in 2000 (the Head is the Directr of B.P.Konstantinov Petersburg Institute of Nuclear Physics Corresponding Member of RAS Viktor Aksenov).

Besides the Chairs there is also MSU Interdepartmental Center (IDC) "Mateial structure and new materials" founded in 1998 and operated on DNR base. IDC organization is a natural way of development of a system for personnel training not only in the field of physics, but also mathematics, chemistry, etc.

DNR actively participate in the scientific research in the directions of its basic Chairs activity wihin the frames two SINP scientific topics. PhD. Sergey Trusov is a Head of "The studies of mesons, deutrons and pion bound states production during proton-nuclear interactions" within the frames of the direction "High energy physics", and the Head of the Chair of Neutronography Viktor Aksenov is a Head of the studies in "Neutronography of the surfaces and layered structures".

The basic purpose of the educational activity of DNR is training of the students of the 4th year (Physics Department MSU) and supporing of their practical work. The following facilities are organized in DNR for this purpose:
- several exercises of a special practical training for the 4th year students are working and permanently improved. In particular, an exercise within the program of the Chair of Neutronography is operated at the advanced equipment - Raman scanning con-focal microscope SOLAR TII;
- a number of new educational exercises within the program of the Chair of Physics of Elementary Particles introduce students to the methods of the development of system for trigger signals producing in physical experiment. These exercises simulate the elementary electronical items of any physical equipment used in the field of high-energy physics. Students learn modern methods of data processing basing on the systems operated at the experimental equipment of the leading scientific centers;
- videoconferencing facilities are used for interactive remote dialog with specialists from different research centers. In order to keep hand in English the students of the senior years have trainings in the language laboratory and during extracurricular activities with students reports in taken topics.

One more DNR purpose is to provide MSU adequate participation in the educational activity in Dubna. For this end starting from 2002 a specific admission was organized to the basic DNR Chairs. From the 1st year of education the students have additional training within the frames of the Chairs' specialization. Starting from 1994 DNR takes part in mock exams to the Physics Department and off-site schook olimpiades.

Currently there are scientific schools for the students, post-graduates and young scientists in the field of neutronography and educational and industrial R&D internships for the students of the Physics and other MSU departments organized on the basis of DNR. There the students come to know the advanced experimental facilities of JINR and have laboratory training developed by the staff of the DNR Chairs and JINR on them.

Regularly the Chair of the Accelerators High-Energy Physics organizes practical training in "medical physics" for the students of the Physics Department. It is popular not only among the students of the Chairs of Biophysics and General Nuclear Physics, but also among the students of the Biological Department of MSU and other universties. Besides, DNR takes part in organizing practical training for the students of the Department of Fundamental Medicine basing on the medical unit of JINR.

It is necessary to note, that DNR get grants from the following Russian and international organizations and programs:
- RF Ministry of education and science (collaboration program with CERN - Dirac experiment);
- German Government foundation FFE (travel grant for the visits to the Research Center in Julich);
- LTP JINR within the frames of the program "Votruba-Blokhintsev" (support for collaboration between the Institutes of the Chezch Republic and JINR).

DNR carries out its R&D activity in collaboration with JINR. DNR scientists also cooperate with the Kostroma, Tula, Irkutsk, Belgorod, Saratov, Samara universities in the development of many scientific problems.

So a system of permanent education (senior school - MSU - academical science) is organized on DNR basis. In fact, DNR is MSU educational and scientific center in Dubna.