Cosmic ray division: State-protected center of scientific and cultural heritage
YEREVAN—In early 2026, the Horizon Europe Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network program, the “GRAIL” project, will commence training a new generation of international Ph.D. researchers in advanced topics including cosmic ray physics, astrophysics and space science. As a recognized leader and center of excellence, with one of the world’s most extensive terrestrial cosmic ray research facilities, the Cosmic Ray Division (CRD) will provide students access to its facilities, where they will participate in CRD’s research programs.
In October 2023, the Cosmic Ray Division of the Alikhanyan National Science Laboratory became an associate member of the Virtual Alpine Observatory, a network of 12 countries with high-altitude research laboratories studying space weather, atmospheric physics and the effects of climate change—a topic of special importance in high-altitude, mountainous regions like Armenia.
CRD, part of the Yerevan Physics Institute (Alikhanyan National Science Laboratory), was established in 1943 by renowned physicists and brothers Abraham and Artem Alikhanyan. The Aragats and Nor Amberd cosmic ray research stations, established on Mount Aragats at 3,200 and 2,000 meters altitude respectively, provided the foundation for the Yerevan Physics Institute, which now includes a number of other divisions. Cosmic ray experiments provided fundamental information on particle physics well before the advent of powerful particle accelerators.
Funding for science vanished following the collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991. Overcoming numerous hardships, research continued due to CRD’s dedicated staff and the leadership of Professor Ashot Chilingarian.
In August 2001, at the International Cosmic Ray Conference in Hamburg, Germany, Armenia was cited as one of the top five countries engaged in cosmic ray research, alongside Germany, Japan, Russia and the United States. Two years later, in December 2003, at the World Summit on the Information Society, CRD received the award for best content in the e-science category. Its website, the Data Visualization Interactive Network (DVIN), was nominated for the prestigious award.
CRD continues to receive international acclaim, participating in numerous global collaborations and providing leadership in many areas of scientific research. Recognizing CRD’s achievements, on Jan. 28, 2025, during the first session of the Expert Commission of the Armenian Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, the Aragats and Nor Amberd cosmic ray research stations and surrounding regions were designated as state-protected centers of scientific and cultural heritage. As a result, these CRD facilities and their surrounding areas will become protected zones.
