PRESS RELEASE
Anahid Yeremian
Support Committee for Armenia’s Cosmic Ray Division
P.O. Box 655, Menlo Park, CA 94026
[email protected]
650 – 926 – 4444
November 4, 2004
The Cosmic Ray Division – Shines Brighter than Ever
The Cosmic Ray Division (CRD) of the Alikhanian Physics Institute
(formerly known as Yerevan Physics Institute) shines in the
international scientific arena, despite the difficult conditions in
Armenia. Scientific advances at the CRD continue at a steady pace
with ties between the Diaspora and the CRD stronger than ever, making
us all proud of our joint accomplishments. For detailed information
about the CRD please visit . Here are a few
highlights:
Important New Scientific Partnerships
CRD is a leader in ground based Space Weather Research as indicated by
endorsements from the scientific community around the world. In 2004
the CRD officially signed a memorandum of understanding for scientific
cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European
Union’s Commission On Science and Technology (COST). These are
important additions to other prestigious research partners such as the
National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) in the U.S. CRD’s
close scientific collaboration with EU scientific organizations will
strengthen Armenia’s bid to join the EU in the future.
Strong Scientific Presence in International Conferences
During the past year CRD scientists have made important scientific
contributions at several international conferences, including the NATO
Space Weather Workshop in Moscow, the European Cosmic Ray Conference
in Florence, and the COmmittee for SPace Research (COSPAR) congress in
Paris. In many cases, CRD’s participation was by special invitation.
Prof. Ashot Chilingarian, the visionary head of the CRD, is also
Armenia’s representative to COSPAR, and his active participation in
the committee’s activities have earned him a letter of commendation
from the Executive Director of COSPAR: “… I would like to take the
opportunity of this letter to thank you [Prof. Chilingarian], as
Armenian National Representative, for participating actively in the
committee’s activities. It is rare for new members to participate to
the degree that you have, e.g., attending committee meetings,
nominating candidates for awards, seeking COSPAR’s assistance in
obtaining EU funding, etc. Armenia’s participation has added to the
value of our Committee’s work and been remarked by our officers and
certainly other national and international scientific union members as
well. We look forward to future close relations, to widening
participation by Armenian scientists in the international space
research community, and trust you will not hesitate to contact us
concerning capacity building activities or other matters in which our
collaboration may be of assistance. Sincerely yours, Dr. I. Revah,
Executive Director, COSPAR”
5 International Organizations Reviewed CRD in 2004.
>From February through September, five different review commission from
the United states and Europe visited CRD’s research stations on Mt.
Aragats and headquarters in Yerevan. Visitors were introduced to the
CRD’s vision and the progress of the various projects by Prof. Ashot
Chilingarian. Discussions regarding sensible science policy,
particularly as it relates to Armenia, ensued. Several visitors, who
made their visit in the summer months and were able to go to the
mountain stations, emphasized that, although they already had plenty
of knowledge about the Aragats research center, only after detailed
examination of the facilities and the explanations presented to them,
did they fully appreciate the importance of CRD to the world-wide
attempts to create a reliable and timely service for Space Weather
forecasting. In his oral close-out report to the CRD group on
September 25, Dr. Manfred Fleischer, deputy director in charge of
research at the Deutsches Elektronen SYnchrotron (DESY), emphasized
the 3 main ingredients that characterize the relevance and importance
of good research to the world. He congratulated the CRD staff for
fully satisfying these rather severe requirements: 1. incorporation of
their research activities into numerous world-wide scientific
networks, 2. co-authorship of joint papers with other scientific
organizations, 3. the attraction of very large fraction of CRD’s
funding from international sources. All the visitors rated CRD’s
performance as outstanding and commended CRD’s important contributions
to the international scientific community.
New PhD Student, Artur Reimers
The CRD has 18 students and young trainees who are completing various
stages of their education at Yerevan State University. These students
come to the CRD for lectures on astrophysics and some of them elect to
conduct their undergraduate, masters, or PhD thesis in the field of
Cosmic Rays and Space Weather. Graduates from the CRD program are
offered research opportunities at the CRD – first as young trainees,
and then as full employees. This academic year the Support Committee
for Armenia’s Cosmic Ray Division (SACRD) welcomes our new PhD
student, Artur Reimers, who developed an interest in Cosmic Ray
Physics as an undergraduate student of Prof. Chilingarian.
Social Responsibility at the CRD
In addition to its outstanding international scientific
accomplishments, the CRD takes social responsibility in Armenia
seriously. As CRD’s computer systems were upgraded, the older
computers were donated to a school in the village of Antarout on
Mt. Aragats. CRD’s university students supported the school by
installing the computers and providing technical assistance to the
students and staff. Three years ago when Dr. Art Hazarabedian,
founder of the Armenian Technology Group (ATG), donated 20 beehives
with bees to the CRD to make honey for CRD’s staff stationed on
Mt. Aragats, the CRD decided to committed 10% of the honey to
soup-kitchens and orphanages in Armenia. The CRD has donated at least
10% of the honey to the less fortunate every year since.
Diaspora’s involvement with the CRD.
SCACRD member, Joe Dagdigian, recently returned from Armenia where he
visited the CRD for the 3rd time. “I am so impressed with these
people”, says Dagdigian. “They accomplish so much with so little, and
are determined to stay and prosper in Armenia. My wife Lisa and I are
extremely honored to be associated with such people, and with CRD’s
head Prof. Ashot Chilingarian. These people are both superb
scientists and dedicated Armenians. They are setting an example of
how to revitalize Armenian Science. While a lot of challenges remain,
the advances CRD has made during the past 5 years under
Prof. Chilingarian’s leadership are astounding. ”
The SCACRD thanks the AAA, ANC, ARS, ATG, KoV, UAF, and the Armenian
Diaspora press for its continued support. We thank Hairenik and NAASR
bookstores in Watertown and Belmont, MA and the Sardarabad bookstore
in Glendale, CA for carrying the CRD calendars featuring beautiful
sights from Armenia. The proceeds from the sale of these calendars
benefits the CRD.
Special thanks also go to the Armenian Engineers and Scientists of
America (AESA), 417 West Arden St., #112C, Glendale, CA 91203; the
AESA – MI Section, P.O. Box 4867, Troy, MI 48099; and the Bay Area
Friends of Armenia (BAFA), P.O. box 3584, Daly City, CA 94015 for
accepting tax deductible contributions designated specifically for the
CRD. We especially thank you, the individual Diaspora members, who
have caught the vision of Prof. Chilingarian and continue to stay with
us on this exciting journey. Most of all we thank Prof. Ashot
Chilingarian, the 80 dedicated scientists and technicians, and the 18
students of the CRD, who stay in Armenia and contribute to our
motherland’s accelerated development with their talents.
Photo: Prof. Ashot Chilingarian (left), showing the new detectors
being designed for CRD’s Space Weather program, to a US delegation
from the International Science and Technology Center.