Relativistic nuclear physics at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research

The basic stages of the development of the Veksler and Baldin Laboratory of High Energies, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, in Dubna are described briefly. Some experiments on the investigation of cumulative particle production and the new direction of investigation of the processes of hadron-nuclear and nuclear-nuclear interaction in which the quark structure of nuclei can be manifested—relativistic nuclear physics—are considered. Basic methodical and experimental results obtained at the synchrophasotron and Nuclotron are presented, ideas produced in collaboration with theoreticians of the Bogoliubov Laboratory of Theoretical Physics are discussed. An overview of investigations in the field of relativistic nuclear physics planned at the Nuclotron is given.