YERPHI Press Releases

The workshop “Low dimensional physics and gauge principles”

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 01:48:06 GMT

The workshop Low dimensional physics and gauge principles http://crd.yerphi.am/Conferences/lowdim2011/home was held during September 21-29, 2011. The worskhop brought together experts on low-dimensional systems and modern quantum field theory, cosmology and phenomenology. The topics of the workshop were centered on the physics with strong traditions in Yerevan: statistical mechanics of condensed matter systems and field theoretical methods, nonlinear dynamics, applied to particle physics and cosmology. The workshop marked the 80th birthday of Professor Sergei Matinyan, the founder of theoretical high energy physics schools both in Tbilisi and Yerevan. The workshop was sponsored by Volkswagen foundation and partly by Science Committee of Armenia. The first part of the workshop, in September 21-26, took part in the Nor Amberd conference center. Then, in September 28-29, it was continued in Andronikashvili Institute of Physics, Tbilisi, where more Georgian colleagues had possibility to deliver talks and to salute Sergei Gaykovich. S.G.Matinyan, A.Sedrakian and V.Gurzadyan were interviewed by Georgian TV.

Launching of the detector in Yerevan

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 01:33:12 GMT

The research of the solar terrestrial connections were started by Cosmic ray division (CRD) of A. Alikhanyan national lab (AANL) more than 10 years ago with the establishment of Aragats Space Environmental Center (ASEC, Chilingarian et al., 2003, 2005). In 2011 ASEC got new extension by installing modern particle detector on 800 m altitude at CRD headquarters in Yerevan. Registration of the solar modulation effects (changing fluxes of the secondary cosmic rays) on 3 altitudes (Yerevan - 800 m; Nor Amberd - 2000 m; and Aragats - 3200 m, planned also in the AANL underground laboratory) allows recovery of the energy spectra of solar protons, distinguishing proton and neutron solar events and solve many other interesting fundamental problems of the solar, magnetospheric and atmospheric physics. The Cube type detectors, see Figure 1, designed and fabricated by CRD experts and first installed at Aragats in 2010, simultaneously measure charged and neutral fluxes of secondary cosmic rays. The Yerevan Cube setup in addition is capable to measure energy deposit spectra in 3 cm scintillators, NaI crystal of 30cm x 12.5cm x 12.5cm size and same size plastic scintillator. High level of suppression of the charged flux by veto provided by surrounding 3 cm thick scintillators allows perfect purification of the detected neutron and gamma ray fluxes, not achievable by the most popular and broad spread detectors - neutron monitors. This very important option of the new detector makes it the best device also for measuring particle fluxes from the thunderclouds - new phenomena investigated by CRD in last 3 years (Chilingarian et al., 2010, 2011). NaI crystal and thick scintillator will be used for the recovery of bremsstrahlung gamma ray spectra originated from electrons accelerated in thunderstorm atmospheres. The shift of the energy spectra of charged cosmic rays in the strong electrical fields in thunderclouds and electron-gamma ray avalanches, unleashed in the extreme fields, give rise to the so called Thunderstorm Ground Enhancements (TGEs), peaks in time series detected by particle detectors located on mountainous altitudes in the regions with enhanced thunderstorm activity. Surprisingly, recently the SEVAN (Chilingarian and Reymers, 2008) detector, located on the roof of CRD headquarters, also detected a peak during strong thunderstorm in spring 2011, and the new Cube detector will prove or reject this finding by monitoring expected autumn thunderstorms.

Figure 1. Electronic Engineer David Sargsyan near the Cube detector

Reference Chilingarian, A., Arakelya, K., Avakyan, K., et al.: Correlated mea- surements of secondary cosmic ray fluxes by the Aragats Space - Environmental Center monitors, Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res., Sect. A, 483-496, 2005.Chilingarian, A., Avakyan, K., Babayan, V., et al.: Aragats Space- Environmental Center: status and SEP forecasting possibilities, J. Phys. G: Nucl. Part. Phys., 29, 939-952, 2003.Chilingarian, A., et al., Ground-based observations of thunderstorm-correlated fluxes of high-energy electrons, gamma-rays, and neutrons, Phys. Rev. D, 2010, 82: 043009Chilingarian, A., G. Hovsepyan and A. Hovhannisyan, Particle bursts from thunderclouds: Natural particle accelerators above our heads, Phys. rev. D, 2011, 83, 062001.Chilingarian A., Reymers A., Investigations of the response of hybrid particle detectors for the Space Environmental Viewing and Analysis Network (SEVAN), Ann. Geophys., 26, 249-257, 2008.

Dr. Gerald Fishman, Astrophysicist at NASAs Marshall Center, Received 2011 Shaw Prize in Astronomy, also named as “Asian Nobel Prize”.

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 10:51:17 GMT

Dr. Gerald J. Fishman, astrophysicist at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., and very good friend of CRD received the 2011 Shaw Prize in Astronomy.

Fishman is being recognized for his leadership in research that has shed new light on the space phenomena known as gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) -- the brightest, most explosive events known to occur in the universe. He shares the award with Dr. Enrico Costa, director of research at the Institute of Space Astrophysics and Cosmic Physics in Rome, who also performs space-borne research in the study of gamma-ray bursts.

The award ceremony was held in Hong Kong on Sept. 28. The medals were presented by the Honorable Chief Executive of Hong Kong, the equivalent of Governor of the HK Special District of China. Established in 2004 by Hong Kong media entrepreneur Sir Run Shaw, the Shaw Prize includes annual awards for achievement in the fields of astronomy; life sciences and medicine; and mathematics. The awards recognize individuals who have achieved significant breakthroughs in science and research with a positive, lasting impact on humankind.

Dr. Fishman research now is concentrated in the new exciting phenomena of Terrestrial Gamma flashes (TGFs), first discovered by the same BATSE satellite, which detects first afterglow of the GRBs. The Gamma ray bursts are detected now by new Gamma ray observatories (Fermi, RHESSI, AGILE) not from Supernovae explosions, but from thunderclouds! The surface analog of TGFs is TGEs (Thunderstorm Ground Enhancements), first detected and researched at Aragats. The TGF-TGE research is going on and will be presented at AGU (American Geophysical Society) fall meeting in San-Fransisco, this December.

Figure 1. Dr Gerald Fishman accepting the Shaw award from the Honorable Chief Executive of Hong Kong

Registration of solar flares in the CRD Aragats station on September 6- 8

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 08:45:52 GMT

On September 6-8 four flares occurred on the Sun, and the flares originated Coronal Mass Ejections (MEs) inducing geomagnetic storms on the arrival to the Earth.

The first flare was invoked. From 1283 solar active region solar flare was unleashed at on September 6, at 01:50 UT, the GOES 15 satellite registered M5.3 category flare, according to X-ray flares scale (X class flares are the strongest ones, M-class 10 time less intensive). The same day, at 22:20 UT, the same active region induced the second flare of X2.1 category. On September 7, at 22:38 UT, the third strong flare was registered, now the X1,8 category. And finally on September 8, at 15:46 UT, M6 category flare was noticed. All the flares produced CMEs. At arrival to the Earth on September 9, at 11:24 UT the Aragats neutron monitor (ArNM) registered sharp decrease of particle flux- this phenomena is called Forbush decrease. It lasted till 13:14. Same day, at 16:00 UT strong geomagnetic storm occurred Kp-index increased till 7 (maximum value 9), which lasted till 18:20 UT. The disturbance of the magnetic field measured by planetary DST index decreased up to 75 nTl

Figure 1: The CME on September 08. 2011 at 15:46 UT

ANL scientists participated in the exhibition EXPO Armenia 2011, September 9-11, 2011.

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 08:18:53 GMT

For the first time scientists and engineers of A.AlikhanyanIn national lab (AANL) participated in the exhibition EXPO Armenia 2011. The following products were demonstrated during the exhibition:

Beam sensors/scanners for the accelerative diagnostics
High temperature furnace for the temperature up to 1600 ⁰С with mobile bottom on the base of fibrous high temperature ceramics.
High temperature heat-insulating materials on the base of natural resources of Armenia.

The exhibition attracted many visitors, ranking from amateurs to business managers with task-specific targets: thermo balance for growing crystals, blocks with heaters for more moderate temperatures, dental furnaces, jewelry furnaces, furnaces for the production of studio pottery; as well as furnaces for glass processing.

Other commercial developments of AANL were presented in the form of a booklet, which was also in demand among the visitors of our booth. Namely in the booklet presented were: isotope production for the diagnostic scanners. In AANL technology of production of Tc-99m on the linear electron accelerator was developed. Tc-99m is one of the most important medical isotopes, used to diagnostics of the human diseases, first of all oncological and cardiovascular.

Production of custom-made solar water heating systems:

Circulating solar water-heating systems;

High-speed tubular heat-exchangers, with up to 250 kWt capacity

Radiation sterilization: Radiation sterilization of a large scale of medical materials have been performed (gynecological kits and Petri dish of Medias company) modification of heat shrink polymeric tubes of wide range.

AANL also organize commercial production of:

liquid and gaseous azote and oxygen of high purity (9999)

Gas mixtures by the technical terms of customer are produced, for instance: mixtures azote, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and helium in different combinations.

Laser micro processing:

Fabrication of the micro details for micro electromagnetic systems and production of different micro-details applied in surgery and technologies based on copper vapor lasers which allow to realize micro cutting and micro drilling of various metal foils etc.

All the three days of the exhibition passed in intensive discussions and proved to be very efficient and fruitful.

Figure 1. Photos of the exhibition EXPO Armenia 2011, ANL pavilion

Participation of Armenian physicists in the 32nd International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC2011)

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 07:53:55 GMT

The 32nd International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC2011) hosted and organized by the Institute of High Energy Physics, the Chinese Academy of Sciences was held in Beijing from August 11 to August 18, 2011. Following the tradition of past International Cosmic Ray Conferences, the ICRC2011

dealt with a broad range of topics, covering cosmic ray physics, gamma-ray astronomy, solar physics and high energy phenomena in terrestrial atmosphere. The key topics were: A. Solar and Heliospheric Phenomena

* Sun and Solar Emissions
* Acceleration and Transport Phenomena in the Heliosphere
* Galactic and Anomalous Cosmic Rays in the Heliosphere
* Cosmic Rays at Earth and in Planetary Environments
B. Cosmic Ray Origin and Galactic Phenomena
* Direct Measurements
* X-ray and Gamma ray observations
C. High Energy Phenomena
* Extensive Air Showers and HE Cosmic Rays
* Muons and Neutrinos
* Interactions, Particle Physics Aspects, Cosmology

* Sun and Solar Emissions
* Acceleration and Transport Phenomena in the Heliosphere
* Galactic and Anomalous Cosmic Rays in the Heliosphere
* Cosmic Rays at Earth and in Planetary Environments
B. Cosmic Ray Origin and Galactic Phenomena
* Direct Measurements
* X-ray and Gamma ray observations
C. High Energy Phenomena
* Extensive Air Showers and HE Cosmic Rays
* Muons and Neutrinos
* Interactions, Particle Physics Aspects, Cosmology

The YerPhI delegation ( Romen Martirosov, Bagrat Mailyan, Levon Vanyan) presented the following reports: Romen Martirosov : "Energy spectrum and mass composition of primary cosmic radiation in the region above the knee from the GAMMA experiment", Bagrat Mailyan presented two talks: "Thunderstorm Ground Enhancements (TGE-s)" detected at Aragats and "The energy spectra of the thunderstorm correlated electron and gamma ray fluxes measured at Aragats". Levon Vanyan: "Simulations of the Relativistic Runaway Electron Avalanches (RREA) in the thunderclouds above the Aragats space Environmental center (ASEC)".

Figure 1. Discussion of new physics of thunderstorm activity. Vanyan Levon (left) and Alexander Lidvansky(right).

Figure 2. Poster Session: Partha Chowduri (left) and Bagrat Mailyan (right).

New consortium to develop medical equipment

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 06:23:45 GMT

On September 2, 2011 a memorandum was signed between the National center of oncology (NCO), Institute of Informatics and Automatation Problems of NAS (IIAP), Institute of Physical Research (IPR) and A. IAlikhanyan National Laboratory represented by directors of institutions: H.M. Galstyan, V.G. Sahakyan, A.V. Papoyan and A. Chilingarian.

Director of AANL A. Chilingarian in his opening remarks presented perspectives of developments for the medical diagnostics systems, namely isotopes production for scanners and digital X-ray image detectors.

The head of X-ray Instrumentation Group M. Mkrtchyan presented “The High Spatial Resolution X-ray Image Detector” designed and fabricated by this group. Clinical tests of the detector will be performed in National Center of Oncology. Scintillation crystals for this detector have been grown in Physical Research Institute.

NCO director H.M. Galstyan mentioned the importance of research in medica physics in AANL and outlined the necessity of upgrading currently used X-ray diagnostic devices with modern digital imaging systems.

After discussions, four directors signed a memorandum confirming their intention of joint development of a 3D image digital registration system for mammography. As a first step it was decided to create a working group consisting of representatives from participating organizations - M. Mkrtchyan - AANL (coordinator), H. Davtyan - NCO, H. Sarukhanyan-IIAP, and A. Petrosyan – IPR. The main task of the working group is the preparation of a proposal of the above mentioned device within two months.

Figure 1. The High Spatial Resolution X-ray Image Detector

CERN launches LHC@home 2.0 volunteer computing initiative

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 07:15:01 GMT

On August 8, researchers at CERN began public beta testing of a new version of the popular volunteer computing project LHC@home 2.0. This allows volunteers for the first time to provide their home and PC resources for performing simulations of the production of final states in the collisions of protons at the energies CERN’s Large Hadron Collider. Thus, volunteers can actively help physicists in the search for new fundamental particles that will provide insights into the origin of our Universe. For distribution of jobs to and harnessing results from the machines of the volunteers, LHC@home 2.0 relies on the CernVM Co-Pilotframework. Development of this framework has been started by Artem Harutyunyan within the work on his PhD dissertation which has been carried out in the ALICE experiment team of ANSL. Currently LHC@home 2.0 project has about 8000 registered volunteers.For more information ,please, see http://boinc01.cern.ch/media.

For more information ,please, see http://boinc01.cern.ch/media.

Figure 1. Artem Harutyunyan-founder of the CernVM Co-Pilot framework

Armenian physicists discover important relations between space born and surface observations of the high energy phenomena in the thunderstorm atmospheres

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 09:09:40 GMT

Figure 1. Symmetry of the terrestrial gamma flashes (TGFs) and thunderstorm ground enhancements (TGEs)

The 24-th Solar Activity Cycle Produce the First Violent Blast: Now Ramping up Toward a Solar Maximum in 2013.

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 07:22:48 GMT

The sun unleashed its strongest solar flare in nearly five years on Feb 15 2011, sending a massive wave of charged particles toward Earth. The Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), a huge cloud of charged particles, reached the Earth in approximately 3 days and triggered a sizeable geomagnetic storm and a deep Forbush decrease (Fd). Fd is a rapid decrease in the observed galactic cosmicray intensity following a CME arrival. Variety of the particle detectors of the Aragats Space Environmental Center (ASEC) in Armenia and the Space Environmental Viewing and Analysis Network (SEVAN), a worldwide network, registered the Fd in all details.

Figure 1. Pressure corrected time series of ASEC particle monitors

Figure 2. Pressure corrected time series of SEVAN particle monitors

Figure 1 shows the intensity variation of the neutral and charged particles measured on Mt. Aragats at 3200 m above sea level.

Figure 2 demonstrates the first results from the SEVAN detectors in Armenia, Bulgaria and Croatia, registering Fd simultaneously. The data from monitors located at different longitudes, latitudes and altitudes allows us to untangle solar-terrestrial connections and test simulations of fast solar wind interaction with the magnetosphere.