To staff members of the Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions JINR

Dear colleagues, I would like to congratulate you on the remarkable date – the 60th anniversary of the foundation of the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions.

Over the years of its existence, the Laboratory has steadily obtained the leading position in the fields of heavy-ion physics among the world’s nuclear centers. Today FLNR JINR is the advanced research center, where the unique experimental base has been created; where the international team of scientists and specialists of the highest class is working. Due to this, the laboratory community made outstanding discoveries: new types of nucleus decays and new classes of nuclear reactions were discovered, eleven new chemical elements in total were synthesized, including new superheavy elements with atomic numbers 113-118 that were synthesized in recent years. Your achievements are forever written in stone of world science in names and symbols for new elements of the D.I.Mendeleev Periodic Table – element 105 dubnium (Db), 114 flerovium (Fl), 115 moscovium (Mc), 118 oganesson (Og).

Along with fundamental studies, the Laboratory massively conducts applied development of unique membrane materials, synthesis of radioisotopes for nuclear medicine and ecology, creation and study of nanostructures, testing the impact of cosmic rays on electronic components for space systems and biological materials.

The future of the Laboratory instills confidence being associated with establishment of the world’s first Factory of Superheavy Elements, development of the experimental base for study of light exotic nuclei, extension of applied research, training of highly qualified scientists and specialists and education of talented young people.

I wish to the laboratory community future success in implementation of the plans, in development of international scientific cooperation and new scientific breakthroughs.

JINR Director, Academician V.A. Matveev