Status of the MPD Experiment at JINR

The Mega-Science project NICA (Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility) is under construction at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna. The Multi-Purpose Detector (MPD) is part of this complex, as a main physics experiment operating there. It aims to study the phase diagram of QCD matter at maximum baryonic density, determine the nature of the phase transition between the deconfined and hadronic matter and perform a search for the conjectured critical point in the diagram. Status of the preparation of critical elements of the infrastructure will be discussed, including the construction of the MPD subsystems.

The designed physics performance of the detector components will be discussed. Spectra of identified hadrons, including hyperons and hypernuclei will be discussed, with emphasis on differential measurement and total yield extraction. The quality of directed and elliptic flow determination will be discussed, with comparison to model expectations. The sensitivity of event-by-event fluctuations and femtoscopic measurements to the nature of the phase transition and the presence of a critical point will be given. Performance of the electromagnetic calorimeter working in conjunction with the tracking system for the di-lepton measurements and the potential for identification of charmed mesons will be described. In summary, all the main components of the physics program of the MPD Collaboration will be presented.