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Armenia's Cosmic Ray Division - Accomplishments and Impact

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  • Armenia's Cosmic Ray Division - Accomplishments and Impact

    June 25, 2005
    Support Committee for Armenia's Cosmic Ray Division
    PO Box 655
    Menlo Park, CA 94026
    Contact Anahid Yeremian
    (650)926-4444
    [email protected]

    Cosmic Ray Division - New Accomplishments, New
    International Impact
    By Anahid Yeremian

    The Cosmic Ray Division (CRD) of the Alikhanian
    Physics Institute won the All Armenia e-Content
    Contest in 2005 in the e-science category. The
    competition, dedicated to the 1600th anniversary of
    the creation of the Armenian Alphabet, was
    appropriately named the
    Mashtots-1600 contest. Winners of this contest will
    represent Armenia at the World Summit on Information
    Society's (WSIS) competition in Tunis in November,
    2005. Because the CRD won the 2003 world competition
    held in Geneva, the second place winner of the All
    Armenia contest in the e-science category in 2005 will
    represent Armenia in Tunis this year. As the winner
    from the previous WSIS contest, CRD's head, Prof.
    Ashot Chilingarian, will likely serve as a judge at
    the Tunis competition. We wish success to all the
    Armenian entries to the world contest in Tunis this
    year.

    CRD has made a number of internationally significant
    contributions in the recent months. In May the Science
    Education for New Civic Engagements and
    responsibilities (SENCER) conference, organized by the
    National Science Foundation (NSF) of the United
    States, was held at CRD's Nor Amberd research station
    on Mt. Aragats. SENCER, a flagship program of the NSF,
    aims to advance important national educational goals
    by helping
    students understand the scientific process and the
    importance of civic responsibility. Prof.
    Chilingarian, one of four key speakers, spoke about
    "Space Weather and Solar Physics - Basic Science
    Influencing Everyday Life". Prof. Karen Kashmanian
    Oates, Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs
    of Harrisburg University of Science and Technology,
    was the conference chair. About 30 participants from
    the Georgian State University, Georgian Medical
    University, Alikhanyan Physics Institute, Yerevan
    State University, Yerevan
    Technical University, as well as the chairman of
    Armenia's National Foundation for Science and Advanced
    Technologies (NFSAT), Dr. Harut Karapetyan, were
    attendees. The next meeting will be in San Jose,
    California, in August. Four Armenian scientists will
    join an international group of colleagues involved in
    science education reform in order to continue the work
    started at Nor Amberd. Armenia's participation is
    funded through a SENCER-Armenia grant sponsored by the
    International Center for Science and Technology at the
    National Science Foundation.

    In June, Prof. Chilingarian represented Armenia in two
    key regional forums, propelling Armenia's visibility
    for its contribution to the Information and
    Communication Technologies (ICT) and Space Weather
    Forecasting in the world. At the World Summit
    Contributory Conference on ICT & Creativity in Vienna,
    Prof. Chilingarian pressed the importance of the ICT
    on forecasting and alerting on natural disasters and
    the need for a focused effort in this direction, in
    particular citing his efforts in the field of Space
    Weather forecasting and alerts. This question will be
    discussed in more detail at the Solar Extreme Events
    -05 workshop at CRD's Nor Amberd research station in
    September. Participants from the US (Naval Research
    Laboratory, Stanford U., U. of Delaware), Europe,
    Japan, and Russia will discuss and draw a conclusion
    which could be presented to the World Summit on
    Information Society 05 in Tunis as the Armenian
    Declaration. The Vienna Declaration focused on
    e-learning and multimedia.

    In Bulgaria, At the Balkan and Black Sea regional
    planning meeting for the International Heliophysical
    Year in 2007, Prof. Chilingarian represented Armenia
    as a leading actor in the region for Space Weather
    forecasting. With its two high altitude research
    stations, Nor Amberd at 6,500 ft. and Aragats at
    10,500 ft., CRD is a world Leader for ground based
    space weather research. Space weather is the effect
    of the Solar activity on terrestrial systems, and thus
    is a very hot topic of consideration for the year
    dedicated to Heliophysical research. The workshop in
    Bulgaria included representatives from Armenia,
    Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Greece,
    Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and others countries of the
    region. Armenia is clearly the leader on ground based
    space weather monitoring in the region. Relying on the
    expertise of the CRD, setting up a regional network of
    solar monitoring stations in other countries for 24
    hours of alert service, was highlighted in the
    workshop. The new monitors under development at the
    CRD can be installed in new locations in Croatia and
    Bulgaria, and initial
    discussion along these lines show great promise.

    The Diaspora's support of the CRD continues to play a
    key role in this success story. It is truly amazing
    how CRD, on a funding level of less than 2 US
    professors' salaries, can accomplishes such great
    feats on the internationally arena. Its staff of 80
    scientists, technicians, and support personnel, and
    its 18 young University students and graduates are
    truly a treasure for Armenia. The support of the
    Diaspora, together with the talent and dedication of
    CRD's staff, has been crucial in allowing the CRD to
    continue making important scientific advances and
    making Armenia an international leader in the
    competitive science of Space Weather Forecasting. For
    more information about the CRD please visit
    WWW.CRDFRIENDS.ORG
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