Cooperation

Information about the partnership

International

International cooperation of the Institute of Nuclear Physics (INP) is carried out within the framework of signed memorandums and agreements with world scientific organizations from the USA, Switzerland (CERN), Russian Federation, Japan, Czech Republic, China, France, Germany, as well as with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and others.

RESEARCH

Within the framework of international agreements and memorandums, INP continues and will continue international cooperation with the following world leaders in the field of nuclear science and technology, including materials science, as well as training:

- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT, USA) in the field of nuclear sciences and technologies, materials science (2023, extension of the previous 5-year memorandum); expansion of contacts within the framework of PhD student and INP employee training programs, ensuring internships for doctoral students at MIT scientific laboratories; joint scientific research in the field of solid-state radiation physics; cooperation in the development of TGS-spectroscopy methodology (transient grating spectroscopy/TGS) considering the construction of a desktop version of the TGS system at the INP.

- European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN, Switzerland) for participation in the NA62 collaboration (2023), tasks and responsibilities of the Institute within this participation will include contributions to the operation and technical maintenance of the straw spectrometer, development of straw technologies, production and assembly of detectors. A group of specialists from INP will participate in the technical maintenance of the experiment, collection and analysis of data;

Collaboration NA62 (CERN). In June 2023, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Geneva between the INP, CERN and NA62 (CERN). Joining of the INP to the NA62 collaboration is a historical event for Kazakh science since it is the first experiment at CERN Kazakhstan is involved in.

NA62 is an experiment on the produced beam of the Super-Proton Synchrotron at CERN, intended for so-called “golden” mode of decay of a charged K-meson into a P-meson and a neutrino-anti-neutrino pair. NA62 is a continuation of a series of previous high-precision experiments - NA48, NA48/1, NA48/2, which are the best experimental achievements of CERN and distinguished by high measurement accuracy. The continuation of the NA62 experiment will be the HIKE experiment (the Institute of Nuclear Physics signed a letter of intent in October 2022).

- Memorandum of Understanding on the NA62 experiment within the framework of the SPD Collaboration to study spin phenomena at the NICA collider between the SPD Collaboration, the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research as the host laboratory and the collaborating institutions of the SPD Collaboration.

In October 2022, a group of scientists from the INP expressed interest in joining the SPD (Spin Physics Detector) Mega-Science experiment of the NICA project. After the first informal contacts with one of the leaders of the collaboration, prof. V.T. Kim organized three meetings.

In March 2023, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed for conducting an experiment on the Spin Physics Detector (SPD) at the NICA collider between the SPD Collaboration, JINR and collaborating Institutes. The Collaboration includes scientists from Armenia, Belarus, Chile, China, Cuba, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Italy, Kazakhstan, Poland, Russia, Serbia, South Africa and Ukraine.

This Memorandum implies the participation of a group of the INP scientists in preparation and implementation of the “Spin Physics Detector” experiment, intended for study of spin phenomena at the NICA collider.

The goal of the research/project is development and stage-by-stage creation of a track detector for studying spin physics at SPD/NICA. Determination of the configuration of beam counters (SPD Beam-Beam Counters) for optimal operation at all available energy intervals of the NICA collider.

With considerable experience in high energy and nuclear physics, detector technology and data analysis, the INP group will make the following contributions:

- straw tracker SPD: development of straw technologies, optimization of reading data from the straw tracker;

- Monte Carlo simulation for straw tracker optimization, reconstruction and analysis algorithms;

- Beam-Beam Counter (BBC) detector: modeling and optimization.

- with Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany.

The memorandum provides for the establishment of cooperation between two organizations for joint scientific research and applied projects in the field of thermonuclear technologies. Under the memorandum, the INP and KIT intend to exchange up-to-date scientific and technical information, conduct joint research in the field of thermonuclear technologies, and prepare joint manuscripts for international rating journals and reports for participation in international conferences on the topic of bilateral cooperation.

Today, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology is one of the leading state educational universities and the largest research institution in Germany. The university is a member of the Helmholtz Association, which unites 19 German research centers.

This memorandum will give a new impetus to the implementation of joint projects in the future and open new horizons for the development of science in both countries.

It should also be noted that in July 2023, the INP and KIT signed a three-year contract to conduct a scientific work on the study of tritium extraction from perspective two-phase lithium ceramics, which is a solid-state blanket material of a thermonuclear reactor. The project is intended to meet one of the current challenges of the European Union's roadmap for implementation of thermonuclear energy – self-sufficiency of the thermonuclear reactor with fuel. The research will be conducted at the WWR-K reactor and includes the following main tasks: development of the design of irradiation capsules for low-temperature and high-temperature irradiation; manufacture of irradiation capsules; development and creation of a tritium measurement system; development and creation of a purge gas preparation system; development and creation of a tritium disposal system; reactor experiments under various conditions. The main results of the planned work will be experimental data on generation and release of tritium from the perspective two-phase lithium ceramics at different temperatures and different compositions of purge gas. The obtained data will provide characterization of the perspective two-phase lithium ceramics under conditions close to real ones and determining the possibility of its use in thermonuclear facilities ITER and DEMO.

- The cooperation agreement in the field of science and education between the RSE REM “Institute of Nuclear Physics” of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education "M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University", D.V. Skobeltsyn Research Institute ETF.

- The cooperation agreement between the INP and the Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The agreement was concluded within the framework of joining the Baikal GVD (Gigaton Volume Detector) project. Within the project, the specialists of INP are working on data processing and modeling. Participation in the assembly of wet detectors is planned. Simulation and data processing for false coincidences of high-energy neutrino passage are in progress.

- The cooperation agreement in the field of science and education between the INP and the Federal State Budgetary Institution of Science "P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute" of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The signing of the cooperation agreement between the P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute and the INP was based on establishment of the "Cosmic Ray Physics" laboratory at the INP. The staffing schedule has been approved. Currently, work is underway to provide the laboratory with highly qualified scientific staff.

- The Consortium Agreement between the "Eurasian High Mountain Scientific Center for Cosmic Rays" and the INP was signed on July 27, 2017.

Joining of the INP to the consortium "Eurasian High Mountain Scientific Center for Cosmic Rays" provides active participation of the INP in scientific research at the Tien Shan High Mountain Scientific Station (TSHMSS). Within the consortium, the "Cosmic Ray Physics" laboratory of the INP has the opportunity to perform joint work in cooperation with TSHMSS. This provides the Laboratory the ability to use the TSHMSS infrastructure.

- Memorandum of Cooperation between the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Ministry of Energy of the RK and Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Czech Technical University in Prague;

- Chinese Institute of Atomic Energy, possible cooperation areas include: instruments and applications for neutron scattering, nuclear physics, etched track membranes with heavy ions, decommissioning and operation of nuclear research reactors, accelerators and their applications.

- With the International Institute of Nuclear Energy (I2EN, France), possible cooperation in the training of personnel for the future Nuclear Power Plants in Kazakhstan.

- Memorandum of Understanding between the INP Kazakhstan and ZOZ Technology Center Germany. Zoz Technology Center (ZTC) is an industrial company manufacturing equipment for the production of oxide-dispersed steels, nanostructured concrete, as well as producing nano-powders for hydrogen storage. Following the meeting, a memorandum of understanding was signed in which the parties expressed their intentions to cooperate. ZTC expressed an interest in conducting research to characterize its own production materials using the INP's experimental facilities. This includes the use of the WW-K reactor and the neutron radiography and tomography unit (TITAN). The parties agreed to conduct a video conference between the specialists to discuss a detailed plan of works.

Industry

The INP produces radioisotopes for various applications.

- In November 2023, the INP signed a contract for the supply of Co-57 isotope for the laboratory of standard radioactive sources of the French Corporation Orano.

- In March 2023, the INP signed a contract with the German company Eckert&Ziegler Chemotrade GmbH.

- In January 2023, the INP signed a contract with the Russian Joint-Stock Company "Ritverc" for supply of Co-57. Under Commercial Contract No. 016 with JSC "RITVERC," the INP produces radioactive cobalt-57 isotope on the Cyclone-30 cyclotron and sells it. This cooperation has been in effect since 2018.

- Commercial Contract No. 169 with LLC "Alexandrovskaya Sloboda", under which the INP conducts film irradiation on the DC-60 cyclotron.

- Commercial Contract No. 166 with LLC "GammaTech", under which the INP conducted test irradiations of target models for production of germanium-68 isotope on the Cyclone-30 cyclotron.

EDUCATION

- Agreement No.227 for creation and implementation of joint programs for training of bachelors, masters, PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in priority areas, courses for professional advancement of teaching staff and specialists, a four-party agreement between the NJSC "Al-Farabi KazNU", the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education "Dubna University", the International Intergovernmental Scientific Research Organization "Joint Institute for Nuclear Research" (JINR), and the RSE REM "Institute of Nuclear Physics" of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, signed on 14.07.2023 with a validity period of 5 years. This Agreement is a continuation of previous agreements, which were initiated in 2010. To date, 146 persons have completed the joint training program.

- Agreement No. 264 on cooperation in scientific research and personnel training. JINR-INP agreed to collaborate regularly in scientific research and innovation activities, and personnel training based on the integration of scientific, educational, technological and innovative resources of both parties. The agreement implies a mutual most-favored-regime in the implementation of goals in the interest areas of each Party. The agreement is aimed at creating and developing a joint scientific, educational, and innovative space of JINR and INP, improving personnel training by solving the following tasks: conducting joint fundamental and applied research, including using unique equipment of JINR and INP laboratories; scientific-methodological, organizational-methodological and personnel support of JINR and INP; integration of educational and research programs to improve personnel training, ensure their competitiveness in the labor market, search, development and implementation of new forms of such integration, and improve the qualifications of scientific and scientific-pedagogical personnel of JINR and INP.

- Agreement on cooperation in the field of joint research of environmental radioactivity between the Republican State Enterprise on the Right of Economic Management "Institute of Nuclear Physics" of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education "M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University".

Scope of cooperation. Cooperation between two Parties for development of radio-analytical chemistry, study of environmental radioactivity, monitoring of ecological processes and study of historical processes using radioactive indicators.

Scientific visits and meetings. Both Parties will conduct regular meetings with each other to review the progress in the area of cooperation and consultations on the issues related to this Agreement implementation.

Exchange of information and knowledge. Both Parties agreed to exchange information in the field of environmental radioactivity and radio-analytical chemistry, such as environmental measurement data, documents, reports and literature.

Personnel training. Personnel training can be organized by both Parties in areas of common interest, particularly in the methodology of radionuclide analysis, environmental change studies, environmental radioactivity, etc. Each Party may offer training in its area of competence to the employees of the other Party and provide the appropriate program and training facilities, allowing them to successfully complete the educational task.

Research collaboration. Cooperation will be conducted in the field of environmental radioactivity research, representing common interest for both Parties. Joint research may be conducted within the framework of individual or joint projects submitted by respective organizations in Kazakhstan and Russia. Research collaboration can be realized by dividing the tasks between two Parties, as well as the exchange of research scientists. Both Parties may accept the qualified specialists from the other Party for joint research and provide the researchers with necessary working conditions related to the studies. The duration of the exchange of researchers may range from 1 to 3 months, and extension will be possible up to one year under special circumstances by mutual consent. Research projects, the number of scientists sent on exchange, the duration of their stay shall be agreed upon in advance.

This agreement is valid for ten years from the date of signing.

A scientific visit to the Chemical Faculty of MSU by the Head of LLBM (CIER) of INP, Harkin P.V., and Senior Researcher of LLBM (CIER) of INP, Krasnopyorova M.V. took place in October 2023.

The visitors could meet the scientific staff and learn about analytical base of the Department of Radiochemistry of the Chemical Faculty of MSU.

A seminar was held with participation of Teachers/Professors and students of the Department of Radiochemistry. Reports were provided by Harkin P.V. on "INP's radioecology research" and by Krasnopyorova M.V. "Study of heavy element and radionuclide contents in environmental objects of Almaty city". The reports aroused interest among the listeners, resulted in discussion.

The results of scientific research presented by Krasnopyorova M.V., obtained within the framework of the project "Implementation of integrated studies of the environmental situation in Almaty city by the nuclear-physical methods” were discussed by the Seminar participants.

A meeting was held with the Deputy Dean for Scientific Work, Doctor of Chemical Sciences. Zvereva M.E. to review the opportunities for future cooperation and participation in joint scientific programs.

This visit is intended to promote academic and scientific development and knowledge exchange between our scientific organizations.

- Agreement on the opening of the JINR Information Center at the INP dated November 11, 2023 for popularization of JINR in the Republic of Kazakhstan and science in general for the general Kazakh public.

- INP signed a Memorandum of understanding with D.Serikbayev East Kazakhstan Technical University on Februaty, 1, 2024.