Early Life and Education
Artem Isaakovich Alikhanian, born on June 24, 1908, in Gandzak (now Kirovakan, northern Armenia), grew up in a family that nurtured his scientific curiosity in the historic Armenian city. He moved to Leningrad in 1927, graduating from Leningrad State University in 1931 with a focus on physics. Before completing his degree, he joined the Physico-Technical Institute in Leningrad in 1930, collaborating closely with his elder brother Abraham Alikhanov, laying early foundations for Soviet nuclear physics alongside luminaries like Piotr Kapitsa and Lev Landau.
Pioneering Cosmic Ray Research
Alikhanian gained prominence through groundbreaking work on cosmic rays, identifying the third (proton) component during high-altitude experiments. During the WWII Siege of Leningrad, he and colleagues designed a synchrocyclotron, earning the USSR State Prize in 1943 despite not being Communist Party members. In 1943, the brothers established a cosmic ray station on Mount Aragats at 3,250 meters, contributing to the founding of the Armenian SSR Academy of Sciences and the Yerevan Physics Institute (YerPhI) as a branch of Yerevan State University.
Founding the Yerevan Physics Institute
As one of YerPhI’s founders and first director, Alikhanian transformed it into a world-class center for high-energy physics and cosmic ray studies. He initiated the Yerevan Synchrotron project in 1956 with astrophysicist Viktor Ambartsumyan, operational by the 1960s, enabling advanced particle research. His leadership elevated Soviet particle physics, with findings on subatomic particles influencing global accelerators like those at CERN.
Major Achievements and Awards
Alikhanian’s innovations included wide-gap track spark chambers, earning the Lenin Prize in 1970. He received the USSR State Prize again in 1948 (shared with his brother, who won a third in 1953) for cosmic ray work. In 1965, Harvard University invited him as the first European Loeb Professor, delivering prestigious Loeb and Lee lectures. He held the Nuclear Physics chair at Moscow Engineering Physics Institute and taught at Yerevan State University.
Later Career and Legacy
Conflicts with Soviet authorities led Alikhanian to resign from YerPhI in 1973 and relocate to Moscow, where he died on February 25, 1978. The institute was renamed the Artem Alikhanian National Scientific Laboratory (AANL) in 2010, honoring his foundational role. A street in Yerevan bears the Alikhanian brothers’ name, and his cosmic ray station on Aragats continues active research. Alikhanian’s legacy endures in modern physics, bridging Soviet nuclear advancements with international collaboration, including recent ties like the 2018 Jefferson Lab MOU.