| 2014-10-20 11:00:31 |
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Former PhD of Prof. Ashot Chilingarian, Dr. Bagrat Mailyan got a NASA funded postdoctoral research associate position at University of Alabama in Huntsville.
He will work in Fermi Gamma ray Burst Monitor (GBM) team analyzing and interpreting GBM data. Currently, Fermi is the best space-borne instrument for the investigation of so-called Terrestrial Gamma ray Flashes (TGFs) - high energy particle fluxes coming from thunderstorms. Using his experience in studying Thunderstorm Ground Enhancements (TGEs) observed by surface detectors at Mount Aragats, Bagrat Mailyan will work with recognized NASA professors to improve the understanding of the high energy atmospheric phenomena.
High-energy physics in the atmosphere is a new science branch investigated fluxes of elementary particles originated from the relativistic electrons accelerated in strong electric fields of the thunderstorms. Fluxes of particles are directed both to open space where they are detected by orbiting gamma ray observatories and to the Earth’s surface. The largest facilities on the earth’s surface detecting electrons, gamma rays and neutrons (TGEs) as well as radio bursts, electric fields, lightnings are located on Aragats in Armenia, NASA is most active in TGF research with LAT and GBM spectrometers on board of FERMI gamma ray observatory.
