The conference started today at the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia. The event is dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the world-famous scientist of Armenian origin, Scientific Leader of the Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions JINR RAS Academician, NAS RA foreign member Yuri Oganessian.

The conference is co-chaired by Yuri Oganessian, NAS RA President NAS RA Academician Ashot Sagyan, and Rector of Yerevan State University Hovhannes Hovhannisyan.

Opening the conference, Yuri Oganessian noted that there is a tradition among people involved in heavy-ion physics to gather once a year to discuss what has been done and outline plans. In 2019 the meeting took place in Tokyo, in 2021 scientists gathered in Dubna. 2022 was marked by a conference in Saint Petersburg. He also thanked his colleagues from Armenia for organizing the current meeting in Yerevan. Yuri Oganessian presented the results of many years of his scientific activity, touching upon the challenges in the field of nuclear physics. He also spoke about the history of superheavy element synthesis. The report by Academician Oganessian reviewed events that have taken place in the field of heavy ion physics and in the life of the Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions JINR over the past few years.

Photographs © National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia

The significant role of the Joint Institute in consolidating the efforts of scientists from many countries and developing important scientific projects and facilities was noted at the conference. “We appreciate that such a large delegation from JINR has come to participate in the event. The Institute is an example of the successful development of a complex of megascience projects”, President of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia Ashot Sagyan said.

Rector of Yerevan State University Hovhannes Hovhannisyan highlighted in his speech, “Today we are not only celebrating the 90th birthday of Yuri Tsolakovich Oganessian, but also all the achievements of physics”.

The anniversary conference brought together prominent scientists from the world’s leading universities and research centres, such as the University of Notre Dame in the USA, the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, the University of Naples, the GSI Centre in Germany, iThemba Labs in South Africa, the National Centre for Nuclear Research in Poland, Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland, Tel Aviv University in Israel, scientific centres in Russia.

During the five-day conference, participants will present the results of their research on the synthesis and study of the physical and chemical properties of superheavy elements. The conference is organized jointly by the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Yerevan State University, and the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP). The event will last until 29 April.