Armenian Scientists: Web Based Cooperation Transcends Borders

By Joseph Dagdigian

March 10, 2014

See the Armenian translation by Civilnet

http://civilnet.am/armenian-physicists-participation-international-space-weather-observations

From Left to right: Dr. Gevorg Poghosyan, Dr. Suren Chilingaryan, Dr. Arsen Hayrapetyan

The Yerevan Physics Institute (YerPhI), together with its Cosmic Ray Division (CRD), is establishing an international partnership for analysis of scientific data stored at some of the world’s largest scientific installations. The CRD’s part of this project, entitled “Web-Based Data Analysis Platform for Space Weather Observations”, will develop a sophisticated web based application for collaborative analysis and research of complex data. The data will originate from multiple research laboratories both at CRD’s facilities in Armenia and from distant sources. The system is currently operational at CRD’s site and its further development is supported within the framework of the Vaporciyan Multivariate Analysis and Visualization (VMAV) project.

Data in a wide range of formats will be analyzed. When completed, the system will allow space weather and geophysical data from around the world to be analyzed by CRD’s scientists as well as placing data collected at CRD’s facilities at the disposal of the international scientific community.

YerPhI is in the process of upgrading its networking servers to facilitate the analysis of the vast amounts of data collected worldwide from some of the world’s largest particle accelerators. On many of the world’s most complex and expensive scientific instruments, large teams of international researchers perform the analysis on huge quantities of collected data. In many instances the amount of data collected is so large that it is estimated that only 30-40% of the data actually gets analyzed. International scientific collaborators often access remote data via the Internet from thousands of miles away. Astrophysical observations similarly gather huge amounts of data that need analysis.

To enlist expertise in networking and knowledge management, CRD’s director and the head of its Cosmic Ray Division - Prof. Ashot Chilingarian, recently visited several European research centers to discuss the establishment of this Armenian - European project. At DESY, the German physics center, Dr. Zaven Akopov - head of DESY’s Knowledge Management project at the X-Ray Laser Project Center, will participate in YerPhI’s project. Also in Germany, Dr. Gevorg Poghosian, head of the simulation laboratory for astro-particle physics at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology’s Steinbuch Center will join this effort. Working on the Large Scale Data Management and Analysis Project, former YerPhI staffer Arsen Hairepetyan, and data processing expert at the Institute of Data Processing and Electronics, Dr. Suren Chilingaryan, all expressed their eagerness to work collaboratively with their colleagues in Armenia over high speed Internet links. This project will allow Armenia’s scientists to collaborate with their international colleagues on some of the most challenging projects of the 21st century.

The VMAV project was established in memory of the late Mr. Kirakos Vaporciyan by the Vaporciyan family of Michigan.