Main Achievements

 

Discovery and Identification of New Objects

 

·         1103 FBS Blue Stellar Objects (BSOs), including more than 700 new ones  (Mickaelian 1994, Ph.D. Thesis, BAO, 284p.; Mickaelian 2008, AJ 136, 946)

·         42 new bright AGN (QSOs and Seyferts) among the FBS BSOs (Mickaelian et al. 1999, Ap 42, 1; Mickaelian et al. 2001, Ap 44, 14; Mickaelian et al. 2002, Ap 45, 73)

·         Hundreds of new white dwarfs and hot subdwarfs among the FBS BSOs (Sinamyan & Mickaelian 2009, Ap 52, 76)

·         Discovery of linear polarization of several FBS objects, possible magnetic white dwarfs (Mickaelian et al. 1991, Ap 34, 186; Eritsian & Mickaelian 1993, Ap 36, 126)

·         New cataclysmic variables among the FBS BSOs (Mickaelian 1996, Proc. IAU S165, KAP, 544; Mickaelian 2005, ASSL 332, 61)

·         Discovery of a new rare bright cataclysmic variable RXS J1643.7+3402: SW Sex sub-class Novalike CV (Mickaelian et al. 2002, A&A 381, 894)

·         Discovery of a very high PM star (5.13 as/yr) among FBS late-type stars (FBS 0250+167) (Gigoyan & Mickaelian 2007, Ap 50, 54)

·         1577 IRAS unidentified IR sources; 1279 galaxies (BIG objects) and 287 (BIS) (Mickaelian & Sargsyan 2004, Ap 47, 213; Mickaelian & Gigoyan 2006, A&A 455, 765) 

·         New bright AGN (Seyferts and LINERs) and ULIRGs among BIG objects (Mickaelian et al. 2002, Bulletin SAO 53, 144; Mickaelian & Sargsyan 2010, Ap 53, in press)

·         Dozens of new pairs and multiple galaxies among IRAS sources (Mickaelian 2007, IAU S235, Cambridge Univ. Press, 225)

·         Discovery of IRAS F18187+6304: a puzzling PMS emission line star with circumstellar envelope among BIS objects (Rossi et al. 2010, Mem. S.A.It., in press)

·         3212 ROSAT FSC X-ray sources (Véron-Cetty et al. 2004, A&A 414, 487)

·         New bright AGN (QSOs and Seyferts) among X-ray sources (Véron-Cetty et al. 2004, A&A 414, 487)

·         2791 ROSAT FSC X-ray sources (BHRC objects) (Mickaelian A.M. et al. 2006, A&A 449, 425)

·         Pairs and multiple (interacting) galaxies among ROSAT sources (Mickaelian A.M. et al. 2006, A&A 449, 425)

·         32 highest IR/opt flux ratio extragalactic sources selected from IRAS FSC and observed with SST (Sargsyan et al. 2008, ApJ 683, 114)

·         237 Spitzer Space Telescope (SST) stellar sources in Boötes and FLS (Hovhannisyan et al. 2009, AJ 138, 251)

·         Discovery of 21 hot debris disk stars among Spitzer sources (Hovhannisyan et al. 2009, AJ 138, 251)

·         330 IRAS / 2MASS / FIRST / SDSS selected galaxies, a new sample for comparative study of properties of IR sources

 

Astrophysical and Statistical Results

 

·         Re-estimation of the completeness of BQS (53%) and estimation of the surface density of bright QSOs/AGN (0.012 deg-2) (Mickaelian et al. 1999, Ap 42, 1; Mickaelian et al. 2001, Ap 44, 14)

·         Complete AGN classification for HyperLEDA database (Gavrilović et al. 2007, Proc. IAU S238, Cambridge Univ. Press, 371)

·         Optical identification of ROSAT sources and estimation of the abundance of various types of objects among X-ray sources (Mickaelian A.M. et al. 2006, A&A 449, 425)

·         Discovery of new types of X-ray sources: interacting galaxies (Mickaelian A.M. et al. 2006, A&A 449, 425)

·         Estimation of the maximum luminosity of a single spiral galaxy (1012 L) (Mickaelian et al. 2001, Proc. IAU S205, ASP 205, 232)

·         Discovery of the highest IR/opt flux ratio (40-1000) extragalactic objects (Sargsyan et al. 2008, ApJ 683, 114)

·         Definition of HINERs (High Ionization Nuclear Emission-Line Regions)

·         Establishment of accurate magnitudes for AGN and the first statistical study of AGN catalog (Mickaelian 2005, Proc. JENAM-2005, Symp. 3, EAS Conf. Ser., on CD-ROM)

·         Discovery of the spectral variability of Akn 564; fine analysis of emission lines

·         Discovery of the spectral variability of Kaz 102; fine analysis of emission lines (Kazarian & Mickaelian 2007, Ap 50, 127)

·         Study of interrelationship of AGN / interaction / starburst phenomena for IRAS galaxies

·         Discovery of 2 Novae among the FBS BSOs (with amplitude of ~8 mag)

·         Estimation of positional accuracies of main astronomical catalogues (Mickaelian & Sinamyan 2010, MNRAS, in press)

·         Estimation of photometric accuracies of main astronomical catalogues (Mickaelian et al. 2010, MNRAS, in press)

 

Technical and Methodological Developments

 

·         Working out methods for accurate measurements of coordinates from POSS

·         Working out methods for optical identifications of IRAS point sources by means of low-dispersion spectra

·         Working out new methods for optical identifications of ROSAT point sources by means of HQS and other databases  

·         Modification of automated reduction package in ESO-MIDAS for BAO 2.6m telescope

·         Introducing ESO-MIDAS and SPECTRAI in Byurakan

·         Working out methods for digitization of astronomical plates

·         Working out methods for astrometric solution of astronomical plates

·         Development of methods for cross-correlation of astronomical catalogs

·         Working out methods for classification of low-dispersion spectra

·         Installation of DFBS web portal and ArVO server on ArmCluster; VO in GRID

·         Working out methods for calculation of most possible accurate positions and PM; application to estimate distances and luminosities

·         Working out methods for calculation of most possible accurate magnitudes and colors; application to reveal variability

 

Initiated Projects and Novelties

 

·         Polarimetric observations of FBS BSOs with BAO 2.6m telescope

·         First research and introducing new field of Infrared Astronomy in Byurakan

·         Optical identifications of IRAS PSC sources

·         First research and introducing new field of X-ray Astronomy in Byurakan

·         Optical identifications of ROSAT FSC sources

·         First multiwavelength studies of galactic and extragalactic objects

·         Multiwavelength astronomy at BAO: multiwavelength surveys for new bright AGN

·         Digitized First Byurakan Survey (DFBS); first large digitization project

·         Digitization of photographic slit spectra obtained with BAO 2.6m telescope

·         Armenian Virtual Observatory (ArVO) and its acceptance in IVOA

·         AGN classification in HyperLEDA database

·         Comparative analysis of large databases (for derivation of high IR/opt flux ratio objects, etc.)

 

Other Results and Achievements

 

·         Organization of IAU Symposium #194 in Byurakan (1998)

·         Foundation of the Armenian Astronomical Society (ArAS) (1999-2001), its acceptance as EAS affiliated society (2001)

·         Foundation of the Isaac Newton Institute Armenian Branch (2000)

·         Organization of IAU Colloquium #184 in Byurakan (2001)

·         Compilation of the first booklet devoted to B.E. Markarian’s life and activity (2001)

·         Creation of ArAS webpage and Electronic Newsletter ArASNews (2002)

·         Establishment of ArAS Annual Meetings (2002)

·         Creation of a database of Armenian astronomers at ArAS webpage (2003)

·         Establishment of ArAS Prize for Young Astronomers, at present named Yervant Terzian Prize (2004)

·         Organization of School Astronomical Olympiads in Armenia (1995, and since 1999)

·         Establishment of regular Byurakan Summer Schools for YSU students (2005, 2009)

·         Establishment of regular Byurakan International Summer Schools (2006, 2008, 2010 combined with ISYA-2010, 2012)

·         Organization of JENAM-2007 in Yerevan, the greatest scientific meeting ever held in Armenia (2007)

·         Organization of Anania Shirakatsi’s 1400th anniversary (2012)

·         Compilation and release of a DVD devoted to V.A. Ambartsumian’s life and activity (2008, 2nd edition in 2010)

·         Accomplishment of IYA-2009 plans in Armenia; large advertisement of astronomy (2009)

·         Meetings between astronomers and historians/archaeologists for Archaeoastronomy matters in Armenia (2009)

·         Meetings between astronomers and biologists for Astrobiology matters in Armenia (2009)

·         Creation of “Astronomy for Students” DVD, a database for astronomy students (2010)

·         Initiation of the scientific journalism affairs in Armenia based on astronomical news and events (2010)

·         Organization of ArAS popular lectures in Armenian schools initiated by Prof. Yervant Terzian (USA) (2012)

·         Creation of “Astronomy for Schools” DVD, a database for school astronomy (2012)