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PRESS RELEASE
Joseph Dagdigian
42 Simon Atherton Row
Harvard, MA 01451
978 772-9417
www.crdfriends.org
Science Update: Armenia
Young CRD Scientists at International Cosmic Ray Conference, Beijing
The 32nd International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC2011), hosted and
organized by the Institute of High Energy Physics and the Chinese
Academy of Sciences, was held in Beijing from August 11 to August 18,
2011. Following the tradition of past conferences, the ICRC2011 dealt
with a broad range of topics covering cosmic ray physics, gamma-ray
astronomy, solar physics, and high energy phenomena in the terrestrial
atmosphere.
Armenia's delegation from the Cosmic Ray Division of the Artem
Alikhanyan National Laboratory (Yerevan Physics Institute),included
Bagrat Mailyan, Romen Martirosov, and Levon Vanyan who reported on the
research being conducted at the Cosmic Ray Division:
Bagrat Mailyan, a recent young PhD recipient, presented two papers on
CRD's research: "/Thunderstorm Ground Enhancements (TGE-s)/" detected
at CRD's Aragats research station and "/The energy spectra of the
thunderstorm correlated electron and gamma ray fluxes measured at
Aragats/". Both talks described research into the new field of gamma
rays generated within the earth's atmosphere by thunderstorms.
Romen Martirosov's talk was entitled "/Energy spectrum and mass
composition of primary cosmic radiation in the region above the knee
from the GAMMA experiment/".
Levon Vanyan discussed /"Simulations of the Relativistic Runaway
Electron Avalanches (RREA) in the thunderclouds above the Aragats Space
Environmental Center (ASEC)/".
Medical Diagnostic Consortium in Armenia
On September 2, 2011 a memorandum was signed between Armenia's National
Center of Oncology (NCO), the Institute of Informatics and Automation
Problems (IIAP), the Institute of Physical Research (IPR), and the Artem
Alikhanyan National Laboratory (AANL) represented by their respective
directors: H.M. Galstyan, V.G. Sahakyan, A.V. Papoyan and A. Chilingarian.
AANL's director Professor A. Chilingarian, in his opening remarks,
presented development perspectives for medical diagnostic systems;
namely radioactive isotope production for scanners and digital X-ray
image detectors for diagnostic imaging.
H.M. Galstyan citing the importance of medical physics research being
done at the AANL, outlined the necessity of upgrading currently used
X-ray diagnostic devices with modern digital imaging systems.
"The High Spatial Resolution X-ray Image Detector", designed and
fabricated by the X-ray Instrumentation Group, was described by M.
Lazarian. Clinical tests of the detector are to be performed at
National Center of Oncology, using scintillation crystals which are
grown in Armenia's Physical Research Institute.
A memorandum was signed confirming the intention of jointly developing a
3D digital image registration system for mammography. A newly formed
working group of representatives from participating organizations will
prepare a development proposal within two months.
Artem Alikhanyan National Laboratory at EXPO Armenia 2011
>From September 9 to September 11 scientists and engineers of Artem
Alikhanyan National Laboratory (AANL) participated in "EXPO Armenia
2011". The AANL demonstrated or described a range of products
including: accelerator beam sensors/scanners for diagnostic usage, high
temperature furnaces and insulating materials fabricated with Armenian
raw materials, custom-made solar hot water heating systems, equipment
for large scale radiation sterilization of medical material, and high
purity gaseous and liquid oxygen and nitrogen.
The exhibition attracted many visitors, from amateurs to business
managers, with task-specific requirements including tight thermal
control ovens for growing crystals, heaters for moderate temperature
applications, dental furnaces, jewelry furnaces, furnaces for the
production of studio pottery as well as for glass processing.
Other commercial developments of AANL were illustrated in a Russian
language booklet which was distributed to attendees. Within the booklet
was described the production ofan important radio isotope, Tc-99m
(Technium 99), which is commonly used in the diagnoses of cardiovascular
disease and cancer. Tc-99 is produced in AANL's linear electron
accelerator. This material has a half life of approximately 6 hours,
meaning that within each 6 hour period half of the Technium decays into
other substances. Given Armenia's location and isolation, and the time
and expense involved in importing this material from sources outside
Armenia, the availability of Tc-99 can be better assured by production
within Armenia. This development presents an opportunity to improve
Armenia's health infrastructure and establishes an export opportunity to
other countries within the region.
Cosmic Ray Division Registers Intense Solar Flares
On September 9, 2011 Armenia's Cosmic Ray Division of the Artem
Alikhanyan National Laboratories registered four intense solar flares at
its Aragats Research Station near the summit of Armenia's Mt. Aragats.
The strong X-ray radiation, since it travels at the speed of light, was
the first radiation detected and was measured by the GEOS 15 satellite.
Subsequent arrival of solar cosmic ray particles was detected by the
Cosmic Ray Division's Neutron Monitor array at the Aragats Research
Station. The solar flares were accompanied by Coronal Mass Ejections
(CMEs) in which huge clouds of ionized particle with strong magnetic
fields were ejected from the sun towards the earth. The resulting
geomagnetic storm, with a "Kp" index of7 (out of a maximum of 9)
resulted in disturbances to the Earth's magnetic field.
The Cosmic Ray Division has one of the world's largest arrays of cosmic
ray particle detectors. Its neutron monitors are part of the world wide
neutronmonitoring network.
General information with photographs about Armenia's Cosmic Ray Division
may be found at www.aragats.am
Joseph Dagdigian
42 Simon Atherton Row
Harvard, MA 01451
978 772-9417
www.crdfriends.org
Science Update: Armenia
Young CRD Scientists at International Cosmic Ray Conference, Beijing
The 32nd International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC2011), hosted and
organized by the Institute of High Energy Physics and the Chinese
Academy of Sciences, was held in Beijing from August 11 to August 18,
2011. Following the tradition of past conferences, the ICRC2011 dealt
with a broad range of topics covering cosmic ray physics, gamma-ray
astronomy, solar physics, and high energy phenomena in the terrestrial
atmosphere.
Armenia's delegation from the Cosmic Ray Division of the Artem
Alikhanyan National Laboratory (Yerevan Physics Institute),included
Bagrat Mailyan, Romen Martirosov, and Levon Vanyan who reported on the
research being conducted at the Cosmic Ray Division:
Bagrat Mailyan, a recent young PhD recipient, presented two papers on
CRD's research: "/Thunderstorm Ground Enhancements (TGE-s)/" detected
at CRD's Aragats research station and "/The energy spectra of the
thunderstorm correlated electron and gamma ray fluxes measured at
Aragats/". Both talks described research into the new field of gamma
rays generated within the earth's atmosphere by thunderstorms.
Romen Martirosov's talk was entitled "/Energy spectrum and mass
composition of primary cosmic radiation in the region above the knee
from the GAMMA experiment/".
Levon Vanyan discussed /"Simulations of the Relativistic Runaway
Electron Avalanches (RREA) in the thunderclouds above the Aragats Space
Environmental Center (ASEC)/".
Medical Diagnostic Consortium in Armenia
On September 2, 2011 a memorandum was signed between Armenia's National
Center of Oncology (NCO), the Institute of Informatics and Automation
Problems (IIAP), the Institute of Physical Research (IPR), and the Artem
Alikhanyan National Laboratory (AANL) represented by their respective
directors: H.M. Galstyan, V.G. Sahakyan, A.V. Papoyan and A. Chilingarian.
AANL's director Professor A. Chilingarian, in his opening remarks,
presented development perspectives for medical diagnostic systems;
namely radioactive isotope production for scanners and digital X-ray
image detectors for diagnostic imaging.
H.M. Galstyan citing the importance of medical physics research being
done at the AANL, outlined the necessity of upgrading currently used
X-ray diagnostic devices with modern digital imaging systems.
"The High Spatial Resolution X-ray Image Detector", designed and
fabricated by the X-ray Instrumentation Group, was described by M.
Lazarian. Clinical tests of the detector are to be performed at
National Center of Oncology, using scintillation crystals which are
grown in Armenia's Physical Research Institute.
A memorandum was signed confirming the intention of jointly developing a
3D digital image registration system for mammography. A newly formed
working group of representatives from participating organizations will
prepare a development proposal within two months.
Artem Alikhanyan National Laboratory at EXPO Armenia 2011
>From September 9 to September 11 scientists and engineers of Artem
Alikhanyan National Laboratory (AANL) participated in "EXPO Armenia
2011". The AANL demonstrated or described a range of products
including: accelerator beam sensors/scanners for diagnostic usage, high
temperature furnaces and insulating materials fabricated with Armenian
raw materials, custom-made solar hot water heating systems, equipment
for large scale radiation sterilization of medical material, and high
purity gaseous and liquid oxygen and nitrogen.
The exhibition attracted many visitors, from amateurs to business
managers, with task-specific requirements including tight thermal
control ovens for growing crystals, heaters for moderate temperature
applications, dental furnaces, jewelry furnaces, furnaces for the
production of studio pottery as well as for glass processing.
Other commercial developments of AANL were illustrated in a Russian
language booklet which was distributed to attendees. Within the booklet
was described the production ofan important radio isotope, Tc-99m
(Technium 99), which is commonly used in the diagnoses of cardiovascular
disease and cancer. Tc-99 is produced in AANL's linear electron
accelerator. This material has a half life of approximately 6 hours,
meaning that within each 6 hour period half of the Technium decays into
other substances. Given Armenia's location and isolation, and the time
and expense involved in importing this material from sources outside
Armenia, the availability of Tc-99 can be better assured by production
within Armenia. This development presents an opportunity to improve
Armenia's health infrastructure and establishes an export opportunity to
other countries within the region.
Cosmic Ray Division Registers Intense Solar Flares
On September 9, 2011 Armenia's Cosmic Ray Division of the Artem
Alikhanyan National Laboratories registered four intense solar flares at
its Aragats Research Station near the summit of Armenia's Mt. Aragats.
The strong X-ray radiation, since it travels at the speed of light, was
the first radiation detected and was measured by the GEOS 15 satellite.
Subsequent arrival of solar cosmic ray particles was detected by the
Cosmic Ray Division's Neutron Monitor array at the Aragats Research
Station. The solar flares were accompanied by Coronal Mass Ejections
(CMEs) in which huge clouds of ionized particle with strong magnetic
fields were ejected from the sun towards the earth. The resulting
geomagnetic storm, with a "Kp" index of7 (out of a maximum of 9)
resulted in disturbances to the Earth's magnetic field.
The Cosmic Ray Division has one of the world's largest arrays of cosmic
ray particle detectors. Its neutron monitors are part of the world wide
neutronmonitoring network.
General information with photographs about Armenia's Cosmic Ray Division
may be found at www.aragats.am