2 June marks a state holiday of the Republic of Italy, an Associate Member of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research. On this day, 77 years ago, the institutional referendum was held, which resulted in Italy becoming a republic in the form of government, ceasing to be a monarchy.

Scientific contacts with Italian physicists have been maintained since the JINR establishment in 1956. At first there were visits of Italian scientists at the invitation of the Directorate and return visits of JINR employees. For example, professors Gleb Vatagin, Tullio Regge, Antonio Zichichi, and other scientists came to the Institute to deliver lectures on the issues of experimental and theoretical physics.

Bruno Pontecorvo can be considered the symbol of this link between Italian and Dubna science at an early stage of JINR work. The famous scientist born in Italy worked in Dubna for a considerable part of his life. In 1963, he was awarded the Lenin Prize for experimental and theoretical studies of neutrino physics and weak interactions. Joint research of Dubna and Italian scientists in this physics field continues now.

Moreover, scientists are conducting joint works at CERN and GSI, carry out research in the field of modern mathematical physics at the Frascati National Laboratory within an agreement with the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN). The Joint Institute and INFN have long-standing and fruitful history of cooperation. The Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) cooperates with JINR in the fields of neutron nuclear physics.

In recent years, scientists from Italy are taking part in 27 topics in almost all the major areas of the JINR Topical Plan. They include the DIAS-TH Dubna International School “Supersymmetry and Integrability”, the NICA Complex creation and participation in committees of the megascience project, development of the accelerator complex and experimental facilities of FLNR, development of the IREN Pulsed Resonance Neutron Source and its experimental base, study of space substance on Earth and near space.

In 2022, with the participation of JINR scientists, the final assembly of 60 kg of germanium detectors into 4 garlands was successfully carried out at the LEGEND Installation at the Gran Sasso Laboratory in Italy. Before that, the Institute’s staff developed, manufactured, and installed special nylon casings on the detectors to ensure an ultra-low level of radioactive background.

The Directorate of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research congratulates Italian colleagues and partners, as well as their relatives, on the national holiday and wishes them good health, happiness, well-being, luck, and new professional successes for the benefits of science and progress.