Recommendations on the scientific programme The PAC endorsed the main lines of the proposed long-term programme. The draft document is expected well in advance of the next meeting of PAC in June Recommendations of PAC for Particle Physics 30 th meeting, 29 – 30 January 2009 Preamble: The PAC reiterated its previous conclusion that an essential step towards increasing international interest and visibility of the Nuclotron-M/NICA/MPD development will be a well-written white paper and conceptual design report which documents, with physics simulations, what compelling scientific questions will be answered by the proposed programme, and what machine parameters are critical to achieve scientific success. The PAC highly congratulates physicists from the Dzhelepov Laboratory of Nuclear Problems who, together with the American colleagues within the D0 project, collaborated on scientific analysis leading to the first observation of the  b baryon. This discovery has been ranked among the ten most significant achievements in physics in 2008 by the American Physical Society.

Recommendation on progress of the Nuclotron-M project There is a significant progress towards upgrading Nuclotron-M. In order to attract international interest and investment it will be crucial for the project to bring the performance of the accelerator as close as possible to the present state of the art in relation to comparable accelerator facilities at other international centers. It strongly encourages the Nuclotron-M development team to make a critical assessment of what performance and what resources would be required to achieve this goal. This assessment is expected on the next PAC meeting. General recommendations on the Programme of Particle Physics Research for 2009–2011 At the next PAC meeting the Directorate of VBLHE is expected to present a proposal and supporting material concerning consolidation of the scientific programme of the laboratory.

Recommendation concerning the report from the Chairman of the Nuclotron-M/NICA MAC The PAC recommends a face-to-face review of the proposed plan and design for Nuclotron-M/NICA at the earliest appropriate time and looks forward to a report from the Chairperson of the MAC on the results of this review at its next meeting. The PAC notes that a full review of the proposed design by the MAC is essential before publication of the NICA technical design report. - PAC received the report of prof. B. Sharkov, chairman of the Nuclotron-M/NICA MAC, which appreciated results obtained it the realisation on the main part of the subprojects, - It is expected that there will be in depth a face-to-face review of the Nuclotron-M project in April, after the startup on the Nuclotron-M, which will be presented at the PAC PP in June, - It is expected that there will be in depth a face-to-face review of the NICA project after publishing of NICA TDR in May.

Recommendation on progress towards a white paper on the mixed phase and potential future spin physics programs at NICA The PAC looks forward to receiving, prior to its next meeting, the results of initial simulations toward a conceptual design report for MPD which documents, what compelling scientific questions will be answered by the proposed programme, and what machine parameters are critical to achieve scientific success. Recommendation for activities at JINR related to the ILC In order for JINR to be competitive as a potential host laboratory for the ILC, a proactive team including scientists and engineers must work intensively to further document the viability and attractiveness of siting the ILC in the Moscow region with JINR as a host. Recommendation on the status report on the CLIC project Status report on JINR’s participation in the CLIC project. Activity important for the future JINR projects in high-energy physics.

The MPD Collaboration is growing  Joint Institute for Nuclear Research  Institute for Nuclear Research, RAS, RF  Bogolyubov Institute for Theoretical Physics, NAS, Ukraine  Nuclear Physics Institute of MSU, RF  Institute of Applied Physics, AS, Moldova  Institute for Nuclear Reseach & Nuclear Energy BAS, Sofia, Bulgaria  Institute for Scintillation Materials, Kharkov, Ukraine  State Enterprise Scientific & Technology Research Institute for Apparatus construction, Kharkov, Ukraine  Particle Physics Center of Belarussia State University new members are welcomed to join Belarussia Bulgaria Moldova Russia Ukraine „Thermometer” of interest in the NICA... Expect it will go up after publication of the NICA TDR and the MPD CDR.

Recommendations on the activities previously approved for completion in 2008 and proposed for continuation It is the time for JINR scientists participating on CMS, ATLAS, and ALICE to position themselves, through detailed preparation for analysis of data, to play a leading role in the production of new science from these experiments in which JINR, Russia and the other Member States have invested heavily and successfully made major contributions. Report is expected at the next meeting on the work by the JINR ALICE, ATLAS, and CMS groups toward the start of data taking and processing, on the physics research programmes to be carried out by the JINR teams, and on future plans for upgrades of the LHC detectors. This report should include; - information on PhD students and subjects of their thesis, - CICC readiness and opinion of users. ”Dubna International Advanced School of Theoretical Physics”  „Research and education project “Dubna International Advanced School of Theoretical Physics””, until the end of 2013 “Organization, maintenance and development of the university-type educational process at JINR”  “Organization, support and development of the education process at JINR”, until the end of 2013

DIRAC, TUS – until the end of pHe3, ALPOM, OKAPI, HADES, DIRAC, Med-Nuclotron - until the end of Proposals expected for continuation at the next PAC. Med-Nuclotron – including a substantiation of its competitiveness. “Study of e+e- interactions, linear collider physics and detector”  “Study of e+e- interactions, physics and detectors”, until the end of “Development of particle detection methods based on thin-wall drift tubes for precision coordinate measurements at high luminosity“ - until the end of Proposal expected for continuation. “Development of accelerators for radiation technologies”, with the 2 nd priority, until the end of 2009 Recommendation on the project previously approved for completion in 2008 PHENIX – closed.

MOST IMPORTANT POINTS LHC experiments: 1.Detailed preparation to physics analysis in order to play a leading role commensurable with the hardware contributions of JINR. 2. Plans of JINR teams concerning upgrades of detectors. Nuclotron-M/NICA/MPD: 1.What machine parameters are critical to achieve the scientific success? 2.What resources would be required to achive this goal? 3.Full review of the proposed design by the MAC is important.