On 09-30 January, iThemba LABS, RSA, hosted the 2nd JINR-RSA School, the SAINTS@tlabs Physics Summer School, attended by a delegation of JINR representatives. The event was organised by the South African Institute for Nuclear Technology and Sciences under coordination by Prof Richard Newman, iThemba LABS and Stellenbosch University.
The School was attended by 32 undergraduate and postgraduate students selected on the basis of 66 applications and representing 13 South African universities. One of the objectives of the programme was to select participants in Stage 1 of the International Student Practice in JINR Fields of Research to be held in June 2020.
Eight staff-members of BLTP, VBLHEP, DLNP, and JINR UC, who had arrived in South Africa at the end of January to carry out joint research projects, took part in the programme of the School. The event began with a short welcoming speech by the Head of the JINR Department of International Cooperation Dr D.V. Kamanin. The Director of the Laboratory of Theoretical Physics Prof D.I. Kazakov gave a lecture on modern particle physics, and a staff-member of the Laboratory Dr T.M. Shneidman told the participants about theoretical models of atomic nuclei. Prof Yu.A. Panebrattsev delivered a course of lectures “Detectors and signal processing in nuclear research” and staff-members of VBLHEP P.D. Semchukov and K.V. Klygina gave master classes on signal processing in nuclear physics experiments and the Virtual Laboratory of Nuclear Fission. N.E. Sidorov gave a lecture on colliders and the NICA complex currently being constructed at JINR. Dr V.V. Belaga and P.D. Semchukov conducted master classes on the analysis of experimental data using ROOT. A staff-member of DLNP and Deputy Director of the JINR UC Dr A.S. Zhemchugov delivered a series of lectures on Monte Carlo modeling in particle physics experiments and gave a master class on the GEANT software package. The programme of the School ended with a lecture by the Director of JINR UC Prof S.Z. Pakulyak who told the participants about JINR training programmes for students from the universities of the Member States.
Also during the School, JINR representatives visited the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Muizenberg, RSA, where they were welcomed by the Director of the Institute Prof Barry Green. The tour of the educational institution for the guests was given by a former participant of Stage 1 of the International Student Practice 2019 Mr Khumalo Siphamandla.
The participation of JINR specialists in the work of the School makes it possible to get acquainted with the students to be sent to the Institute, and also extends the opportunities for informing South African universities about the possibilities at JINR and about the implementation of joint research projects between JINR and the Republic of South Africa.
