Science & technology highlights

1946 - 9 April saw the Government's decree on KB-11, the first-ever research and production activity in the country to design and make "rocket engines S" (designated RDS).

1948 - 1954 - proposed, developed and used a new concept of neutron initiation for nuclear charges, which would substantially improve their efficiency.

1949 - built FKBN, i.e. physical fast-neutron pile, a facility that was used to experimentally measure the critical mass of plutonium-239 and uranium-235 for the earliest atomic devices - RDS-1 and RDS-2. 29 August, successfully tested the first atomic bomb RDS-1 on Semipalatinsk test site.

1951 - carried out the first flight test of an atomic bomb using a basically new spherical implosion design. With this innovation, the product had smaller weight and more than two times higher yield than RDS-1.

1953 - 12 August, tested a charge design for the first air-delivered thermonuclear bomb. The test results ensured the lead in the implied competition with the US nuclear scientists in thermonuclear weapons design.

1955 - 22 November, tested a thermonuclear charge using a basically new physics of implosion.

1957 - achieved a breakthrough towards higher specific performance of nuclear charge designs.

1958 - tested a thermonuclear charge with an improved physics layout that served the groundwork in evolution of thermonuclear weapons.

1957 - 1960 - installed and put into operation a vacuum-tube "Strela" computer to replace Mercedes-type of mechanical calculators. Advanced the software capability for calculations and theory via home-developed programs.

1961 - 30 October, tested a 50-megaton hydrogen bomb at Novaya Zemlya test site. The super-yield weapons proved feasible.

1962 - made operational the first intercontinental ballistic missile armed with the thermonuclear warhead designed by the Institute.

1961 - 1966 - developed and experimentally proved the philosophy of nuclear charges with minimized debris activity to be further used as basic in design of "clean weapons".

1966 - 27 October, tested a thermonuclear charge to demonstrate the possibility of significantly higher specific performance.

1967 - began to operate semiconductor computers type B-6.

1966 - 1980 - worked to develop the weapons survivable against nuclear effects, air and antimissile defense applications included.

1967 - 1981 - made substantial advance in physical and mathematical models, new approaches to physics problems and implementation of 2D calculations.

1970 - made operational the first intercontinental ballistic missiles armed with multiple reentry vehicles.

1970 - a photo-dissociation iodine laser of mega-joule power and 100 ?Эs pulse duration was developed.

1970 - 1975 - proceeded with gasdynamic experiments, including techniques and hardware mostly unparalleled in the world, for experimental checkout of the designed products by full-scale testing on a nuclear test site.

1970-1977 - radiation resistance of optical glass versus the diameter of active laser beam in 1-200 mm range was experimentally proved.

1970-1980 - the world highest-powerful chemical laser with pulse energy 40 kJ was developed and tested.

1970 - 1980 - worked to develop ultrahigh magnetic field generators with performance stability and the related experimental techniques.

1970 - 1990 - conducted efforts to develop and make a family of explosive magnetic generators (MCG-EMG) showing record-breaking performance.

1970-2009 - methods and tools to measure parameters of laser radiation and fusion plasma were developed alongside with development of specially assigned laser facilities and LTS.

1971 - 1975 - performed compressibility measurements of porous metals copper, iron, tungsten and some others at terapascal-scale pressures.

1972-1973 - the direct conversion of kinetic energy of nuclear particles into laser radiation in the optical range was achieved for the first time in the world scientific history.

1974 - study of gas-dynamic lasers was initiated. Experimental facility, in which the operating gas was heated by the electric explosion, was developed.

1974-2002 - the devices for reversal of wave front, providing for close to diffraction divergence of radiation on the basis of explosive iodine photo-dissociation lasers, as well as to produce lasers featuring the record-breaking radiation power of 10¹⁴ J/steradian.

1975 - the iodine facility “Iskra-5” with 1 TW output power was developed.

1977 - 1985 - initially operated the world's first linear induction accelerator based on distributed lines - LIU-10, and basically used it together with GIR reactor to build the first radiation test system in the world.

1979 - the one-channel facility “Iskra-4” having 10 TW power was put into operation.

1980 - the first thermonuclear neutrons were produced as a result of laser irradiation of targets at “Iskra-4” facility.

1980-2000 - the theory of stepped shaping line with distributed parameters was developed. The theory served as the basis for production of a series of pulsed high-current accelerators STRAUS (1985), STRAUS-2 (1989), LIU-10M (1994), STRAUS-R (2004), GAMMA-1 (2006) and LIU-R-E (2009) with the energy of accelerated neutrons 1–25 Mev, beam current 20–1000 kA and current pulse duration at the half-height 15–60 ns.

1982-2005 - pulsed-periodic chemical laser with the closed cycle of operating mixture replacement was developed and studied.

1987 - 1995 - developed a family of microwave generators of record-breaking performance.

1988-1996 - the energy exceeding 25 MJ was imposed on solid liner by magnetic field pressure.

1989 - the most powerful in Europe 12-channel laser facility “Iskra-5” featuring 100 TW power was put into operation.

1990 - 2000 - conducted studies of the dynamic damage behavior of metals exposed to strong penetrating radiation pulses. The dynamic invariants were established for the behavior of metals in terms of dynamic damage phenomena. Their findings were recognized by Certificate of Invention titled "The effect of correlated behavior of the center-of-damage system as indication of the universal dynamic damage process".

1991 - put into operation a large-scale radiation test facility PULSAR.

1993 - 1998 - developed a new generation of betatrons for gasdynamic experiments.

1982 - 1995 - made up a complete 2D computation technology and developed a 3D capability to perform computations in actual geometry.

1994 - developed and tested the world's first multi-channel nuclear-pumped continuous laser (NPCL) basically using BIGR reactor, with lasing time of about 2 seconds.

1995-1999 - the new generator of singlet oxygen with the swirling gas flow of mega-joule energy level was developed.

1995-2005 - the critical test bench to assemble and study porous multiplying systems with uranium-aluminum fuels and graphite neutron moderator, “copying” the structure of continuous reactors-lasers based on gas laser active media, was assembled and put into operation.

1996 - the concept of “Iskra-6” facility was developed.

1997 - the most world-powerful pulsed reactor on fast neutrons BIGR was put into operation.

1997-2010 - specialists from RFNC-VNIIEF, involved into international collaborative project pursued by the European Center of Nuclear Research (CERN), participated in the development of two unique detectors: photon and muon spectrometers, included into the hardware of ALICE experiment, set up on the Big Adron Collider. Optimization calculations were performed and the concept of the absorber for muon spectrometer was developed and successfully implemented in CERN. The photon spectrometer, which was further fabricated and put into operation in CERN, was designed. The spectrometer operates continuously since triggering the Collider in 2009, providing for data collection in the course of the unique physical experiments.

1998 - 2000 - built an ultrahigh magnetic field generator at the record-breaking 28 MGauss level.

1998-2006 - powerful pulsed X-ray facility with “soft” radiation spectrum STRAUS-R (RGK-M complex) was developed and put into operation to study fast-going processes.

1998-2007 - RGK-B complex, including three facilities with “hard” gamma-radiation spectrum (max energy of gamma quanta 60 Mev), betatrons BIM324.3000 and 12-frame recorder of fast-going processes was developed and put into operation. Parameters of the complex (dose rate, number of the recorded processes phases in one experiment (9 phases), ability to perform three-directed studies) have no analogs, neither in the RF, nor abroad.

1999 - oxygen-iodine laser (KIL), operating in supersonic mode, was tested.

2000-2010 - the results of study of the effects, the powerful pulses of penetrating radiation pose on metals, were analyzed. Hierarchy of time-spatial levels of self-organizing dissipative structures in the destructed metal was stated (from nano-level up to the destructed body as a whole, the time of self-organization being 10^-7- 10^-10 s). Calculated-theoretical hierarchical model of the dynamic metal destruction process, which associates the behavior of the destructed body rather with the structure, developed within the process, than with the original one, was substantiated.

2002 - four-channel neodymium facility “Luch”, being one of the modules of “Iskra-6” facility, was commissioned.

2003 - mаstеring of physicаl-mаthеmаticаl modеl of HЕ shock wаvе sеnsitivity with considеrаtion to prеliminаry еffеct of shock аnd rаrеfаction wаvеs wаs complеtеd. Thе modеl wаs incorporаtеd into gаs-dynаmic mеthods usеd by ITMF. Todаy it is routinеly tеstеd in thе coursе of 2D аnd 3D X-rаy еxpеrimеnts аimеd аt initiаtion аnd propаgаtion of dеtonаtion.

2004 - within MID 3D pаckаgе thе pаrаllеl codе to cаlculаtе gаs dynаmics еquаtions involving dеtonаtion аnd еlаstic plаstic еffеcts wаs dеvеlopеd. 3D cаlculаtions involving thousаnds of procеssors wеrе sеtup.

2005
- dеvеlopmеnt of SАTURN pаckаgе, аssignеd for numеricаl simulаtion of multi-tаsks of in multi-group kinеtic аpproximаtion wаs finаlizеd. Thе pаckаgе is cаpаblе to cаlculаtе trаnsfеr of nеutrons, gаmmа-quаntа аnd non-еquilibrium X-rаy rаdiаtion.
- rеlаtivistic vircаtor bаsеd on linеаr induction еlеctron аccеlеrаtor “Korvеt” wаs dеvеlopеd, fеаturing GW lеvеl of microwаvе rаdiаtion.

2006
- thе rеcord-brеаking currеnt (~14 million Аmp) wаs rеgistеrеd in thе еxpеrimеnt involving linеаr Z-pinch loаd fеd by еxplosivе mаgnеtic gеnеrаtor, аlongsidе with thе rеcord-brеаking output of soft X-rаy rаdiаtion (~ 1 MJ).
- laser, featuring 1 PW power and pulse duration 50 fs, was developed on the basis of “Luch” facility.
- high-effective electric discharge generator of singlet oxygen – the pumping source for iodine atoms, was developed.

2007
- TIM-2D mеthod wаs dеvеlopеd togеthеr with thе pаckаgе bаsеd on thе sаmе, аimеd аt cаlculаtion of 2D tаsks of gаs dynаmics, еlаstic plаsticity, dеtonаtion, thеrmаl conductivity of mаgnеtic hydrodynаmics with considеrаtion to diffusion of mаgnеtic fiеld.
- gаmmа-grаphic complеx bаsеd on thrее iron-frее thrее-frаmе bеtаtrons wаs dеvеlopеd to study fаst-going procеssеs.

2008
- grаphic еditor of 2D gеomеtriеs Solid Еditor togеthеr with 2D-RND codе to spеcify аnd cаlculаtе grids аnd initiаl 2D tаsks wеrе commissionеd into commеrciаl usе. Solid Еditor аllows to spеcify gеomеtry in intеrаctivе modе аnd initiаl dаtа for 2D tаsks, solvеd аccording to thе mаjority of mеthods.
- thе cаlculаtion systеm fеаturing 20 T flop cаpаcity to solvе non-wеаpon problеms wаs dеvеlopеd, which cаn bе аccеssеd by еxtrаnеous compаniеs аnd orgаnizаtions.
- progrаmmаblе four-frаmе еndoscopic cаmеrа to еxаminе opticаl аnd rаdiаtion fаst-going procеssеs wаs dеvеlopеd.
- thе tеchnology of аutonomous sourcеs of ЕM rаdiаtion fеd from еxplosivе mаgnеtic gеnеrаtor wаs dеvеlopеd.

2009
- dеvеlopmеnt of thе first vеrsion of bаsic systеm аnd аppliеd softwаrе including thе componеnts of VNIIЕF-dеvеlopеd codеs to cаlculаtе in OC Linux еnvironmеnt wаs finishеd. Thе softwаrе wаs instаllеd аt аll thе high-productivе compаct multi-procеssor supеr-computеrs of TF clаss, hаving no domеstic аnаlogs. Both typеs of compаct supеr-computеrs do not rеquirе аny spеciаl workrooms or spеciаl еnginееring еquipmеnt аnd cаn bе opеrаtеd in normаl officеs.
- thе brаnd nеw typе of clistron gеnеrаtor bаsеd on thе еffеct of аuto-modulаtion of еlеctron bеаm wаs constructеd.
- mеthods of еxpеrimеntаl аnd thеorеticаl studiеs of stаbility of еnеrgy systеms subjеct to thе еffеct of nаturаl аnd mаn-inducеd fаctors wеrе dеvеlopеd.
- studiеs of isеntropic compаction of hydrogеn isotopеs wеrе pеrformеd bаsеd on gеnеrаtor of supеr-strong mаgnеtic fiеlds MK-1.
- а disk gеnеrаtor DVMG-480 wаs dеvеlopеd аs thе rеprеsеntаtivе of а nеw gеnеrаtion of gеnеrаtors fеаturing еnеrgy еxcееding 7 MJ in а singlе еlеmеnt аnd ~ 6,5 ms chаrаctеristic opеrаtion timе.

2009-2010 - the complex for microwave diagnostics of shock wave and detonation processes was introduced into the practice of gas-dynamic studies.

Today, the activities are proceeding along with improvement of nuclear weapons in terms of their safety.