In 2024, two articles were published in the scientific journals Minerals and Nonlinear Phenomena in Complex Systems, co-authored by JINR staff and their mentees, participants of the international student programmes INTEREST and START.
One of the articles, entitled “Annihilation in the Gluon Dominance Model”, was published in the journal Nonlinear Phenomena in Complex Systems, vol. 27, no. 3 (2024), pp. 246–255. Its authors are Elena Kokoulina, Vladimir Nikitin, and Vsevolod Popov, all from the Laboratory of High Energy Physics (LHEP) at JINR, along with INTEREST programme participants Tatyana Gorelkina from Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Yeiris Caballero Duran from the Higher Institute of Technologies and Applied Sciences (Cuba), Kritika Sarkar from the University of Calcutta (India), Elizaveta Shakhvorostova from Moscow State University, and Yara Shusha from Alexandria University (Egypt).
The article focuses on experiments at modern particle accelerators aimed at studying the structure of hadrons and searching for new physical phenomena. Although the results agree well with the modern theory of strong interactions, quantum chromodynamics (QCD), it is not possible to apply QCD to the description of hadronisation. The authors employ statistical methods based on Markov branching processes and supplement them with a phenomenological description of the process of transformation of quarks and gluons into observable hadrons. The behaviour of the multiplicity of secondary hadrons for the main types of annihilation is described. In particular, an original mechanism of proton-antiproton annihilation at the level of valence quarks and antiquarks is proposed, which is in good agreement with the data and clarifies much. The scheme of hadronisation in all processes of multiple particle production remains universal, but its mechanism changes from fragmentation in electron-positron annihilation to recombination in hadronic collisions.
Elena Kokoulina shared her experience of working with students:
“Before coming to JINR, I was a lecturer, so the desire to share knowledge with young people was natural. Over the years, I have invited students to join my projects. The first students were from Belarus, then came students from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Romania. Throughout my work, I have met young people from Egypt, South Africa, Italy, and Uzbekistan. I have assisted in finding academic supervisors for students from Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics (BSUIR).”
The pandemic brought about adjustments to this work. The UC proposed working remotely through the INTEREST programme. During the programme’s existence, I have worked with students from Romania, Serbia, Vietnam, Egypt, Cuba, Brazil, India, and of course, Russia and Belarus. INTEREST provides students with structure by establishing clear deadlines for project work and regular online meetings, ensuring close contact with their supervisors. The majority of students are captivated by scientific research and keen to continue collaborating. Engaging with young people also inspires me to set new challenges and refine postponed projects. By explaining physics problems to students, I structure my own knowledge, finding the appropriate words for explanation. This motivates me to progress in my work and, also, to improve my English.
The article on annihilation would unlikely have been written without the active communication with my mentees. They simply left me with no other option! I must confess that I have also had to learn from them, including how to format graphs.
Another wave of work with students has concluded, although not everything that had been planned was completed. I hope that the students gained significant experience and knowledge, which they will share within their universities. I would like to encourage JINR staff not to give up working with students. You will gain invaluable experience, satisfaction of seeing their learning progress, and a significant boost to your own scientific endeavours.
Another article, “Local Crystallographic Texture of Alpha Quartz in Silicified Wood (Late Triassic, Madagascar)”, was published in the journal Minerals. Its authors are Alexei Pakhnevich, Tatyana Lychagina, and Dmitry Nikolaev from the Laboratory of Neutron Physics (LNP), as well as START programme participant Sanсia Morris, a student from the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Institute of Chemical Technology Mumbai, India.
The article discusses research on silicified fossil wood with a high quartz content from Late Triassic deposits in Madagascar. The crystallographic texture of the fossil wood was studied using pole figures obtained by X-ray diffraction. It was found that the texture of the crystals is more pronounced in the core of the wood compared to the sapwood. X-ray tomography was also performed, revealing a higher concentration of iron-containing compounds in the sapwood. This is the first study in which an analysis of crystallographic texture has been carried out to understand the processes of replacement of organic matter by minerals.
Tatyana Lychagina, commenting on Sancia Morris’s work, noted that she proved to be a determined and responsible student. During her training, she mastered the basics of new measurement techniques. New results were obtained and an article was published with her direct participation.
The level of preparation and motivation of the participants of the international student programmes is quite high, and JINR UC recommends that the Institute staff take advantage of these convenient tools for attracting talented young people to scientific research.
