Yerevan Physics Institute

Yerevan Physics Institute (Armenian: Երևանի Ֆիզիկայի Ինստիտուտ) is a research institute, located in Yerevan, Armenia. It was founded in 1943 as a branch of Yerevan State University by brothers Abraham Alikhanov and Artem Alikhanian. It was often referred to by the acronym YerPhI (ԵրՖԻ). In 2011 it was renamed to A. Alikhanyan National Laboratory (AANL) (Yerevan Physics Institute).

The Yerevan Physics Institute (YerPhI) was founded in 1943 as a branch of Yerevan State University by brothers Abraham Alikhanov and Artem Alikhanian. Later two high-altitude cosmic ray stations were founded on Mount Aragats (3,200 m) and Nor Amberd (2,000 m).

In 1963 the institute was transferred to the Soviet Union Atomic Energy State Committee. The construction of a 6 GeV electron synchrotron accomplished in 1967 became an important landmark in the history of institute, it is the first particle accelerator in Armenia (Arus "ԱՐՈՒՍ"). After collapse of Soviet Union YerPhI continued research in the fields of high-energy physics and astrophysics in Armenia and worldwide using world biggest accelerators and cosmic ray detectors. Now YerPhI get status of A. Alikhanyan National Laboratory.

Among the key results of YerPhI in the early years were the discovery of protons and neutrons in cosmic rays, and the establishment of the first evidence of existence of the particles with masses between that of muons and protons. The high altitude research stations have remained the main research base of the Cosmic Ray Division (CRD) of YerPhI until now. Among the CRD achievements there were: discovery of sharp knee in light components of primary cosmic rays, detection of the highest energy protons accelerated on the Sun, and the creation of the Aragats Space environ¬mental Center in 2000 for studies of the solar-terrestrial connection, where CRD becomes one of the world’s leaders.

The 6 GeV electron synchrotron was accomplished in 1967. During 1970-1991 synchrotron was operated with energies up to 4,5 GeV and in Experimental Physics Division were obtained significant results, including: hadronic properties of photons in π- meson photo-production on nuclei; structures of nucleon resonances in multi-polarization experiments, structure and characteristics of nuclear matter, important properties of X-ray transition radiation and channeling in monocrystals. Thanks to these achievements physicists from Yerevan Physics Institute started from 1985 are successfully participating in the large international collaborations.

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