Heavy-ion program at NICA/MPD at JINR

A new project NICA/MPD (Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility/MultiPurpose Detector) is under active development now at JINR (Dubna). The main goal of the project is to start in the coming years an experimental study of hot and dense strongly interacting matter and search for possible signs of the mixed phase and critical endpoint in heavy ion collisions. This study should be carried out at center-of-mass ion collision energies of image (nucleon-nucleon equivalent) and an average luminosity of image for Au (79+). Another goal of the project is aimed at the study of spin physics with colliding beams of polarized protons and deuterons. The SPD (Spin Physics Detector) setup will be designed and built for that purpose. This report contains the physics motivation and main characteristics of the facility, the scheme and operation scenario for heavy ion collision mode and the current concept of the MPD setup. Status and plans of the project realization schedule are presented as well.