KISI-Kurchatov equipment installation planned for 2027

The Kurchatov Institute plans to begin installing equipment for its new KISI-Kurchatov synchrotron in 2027, vice-president Alexander Blagov said.

The operating synchrotron source will be shut down only when its research tasks can be transferred to SKIF near Novosibirsk. Blagov said the sequence was intended to avoid an interruption in access to working research facilities.

Shutdown and dismantling of the main ring will be coordinated with the council overseeing the synchrotron and neutron research programme. The institute intends to complete preparations before that happens.

All equipment contracts have been signed and manufacturing is underway, Blagov said. The Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics is the sole contractor.

The existing Kurchatov source continues to serve the Russian scientific community. Its experimental base has been fully renewed over the past 15 years. The institute leads the federal synchrotron and neutron research programme through 2030 and beyond.