On September 25, 2016, the media released a sensational news that the world's largest 500-meter aperture spherical radio telescope (FAST) was completed in a remote mountain ravine in Guizhou, China, marking that China is becoming a radio science power. The completion of "China Sky Eye" FAST (500-meter aperture spherical radio telescope) is a milestone in the history of major national scientific infrastructure construction, which marks the significant improvement of China's innovative design ability, independent manufacturing ability and comprehensive economic strength, and creates a new record in the construction history of large-scale radio telescopes in the world!
"China's Sky Eye" FAST Xinhua News Agency reporter Ou Dongqu photo courtesy of TAKEFOTO
Recently, on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the completion of "China's Tianyan", Shanghai Science and Technology Education Publishing House published the book "Tianyan Project - Fast Pursuit of Dreams of large radio telescopes", and Researcher Peng Bo, a core member of the FAST Project project and director of the FAST Key Laboratory of fast of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, truly recorded the birth process of "China's Tianyan" with the perspective of the whole process of witnesses, with popular language, 300 precious pictures and a large number of first-hand materials.
"Sky Eye Project: A Record of The Dream Pursuit of the Large Radio Telescope FAST" by Peng Bo, Shanghai Science and Technology Education Press
Why build the "Sky Eye Project"
Fast's construction began with a magical and daring dream in the 1990s. During the International Radio Science Union (URSI) Conference held in Kyoto, Japan in 1993, astronomers from 10 countries discussed and formed a consensus to build a large radio telescope array with a reception area of one square kilometer to deeply study the origin of the universe, microwave background radiation, redshift and other issues, so that human beings have a better understanding of the vast universe and its mysteries. This project embodies the imagination of scientists, but at the same time has great risks, is a large scientific project with huge investment, complex technology, and difficult to achieve without extensive international cooperation.
At that time, Chinese astronomer Wu Shengyin attended the meeting, and after returning to China, he and Nan Rendong and others proposed to build the world's first 500-meter aperture large radio telescope in China. In the 1980s and 1990s, China's social and economic development level was still very backward, and the conditions for high-tech research and development were very limited. At that time, the maximum aperture of domestic radio telescopes was only 25 meters, and this initiative undoubtedly looked like an untouchable dream.
However, the science of large radio astronomy has opened China's "zero" initial move under seemingly unconditional embarrassment. After the bold idea of building FAST was proposed, it received a positive response from the relevant departments of the state, and in 1995, the Large Radio Telescope LT China Promotion Committee was established. Scientists represented by Wang Shouzhen, Nan Rendong, Peng Bo, etc., with a strong sense of conscience and responsibility as scientists, follow the laws of science, from theoretical research to each experiment, and integrate the profound radio astronomy theory into the experimental operation of the cycle again and again. They are meticulous in answering every scientific theoretical problem, and their excellence in every scientific experiment vividly write the rigorous and solid scientific spirit of the large radio people.
Why the caliber is selected 500 meters
At the beginning of 1997, the LT research group held several weekly meetings in a row, and gradually refined the main performance indicators of the "Sky Eye", including the observation frequency band and aperture. So how big is the caliber?
At that time, the world's largest radio telescope single aperture was the American Arecibo Telescope, with an aperture of about 305 meters, an illumination aperture of about 200 meters, and a maximum zenith angle of about 20 °. The "Sky Eye" should be comparable to or even higher than its overall performance in order to be attractive and possible to obtain national approval. To make new discoveries in astronomy, first of all, the sensitivity of the telescope should be as high as possible, that is, the antenna receiving area should be as large as possible. Obviously, the effective aperture of the telescope should be large enough to double the sensitivity, and there will be greater benefits in science! It will be difficult to be overtaken by other new telescopes for 20 years or even longer, and it is expected to produce good results and big results.
Academician Wang Shouzhen proposed that the "Heavenly Eye" is larger than the Arecibo Radio Telescope to observe the sky area and look at a wider universe. After precise calculations, if the effective caliber of the "Sky Eye" is to reach 300 meters, the overall caliber must reach 519 meters in order to have a 30° zenith angle. If it continues to expand to a 40° zenith angle, the pilot telescope aperture will be 560 meters! In this way, although larger aperture telescopes can be placed in the Great Nest Depression, the cost is limited, and the final proposal is clear: FAST caliber 500 meters.
Why choose Pingtang in Guizhou
People often ask, why was the site of the large radio telescope chosen in Guizhou? Why was the depression in Pingtang County chosen?
The short answer is: Because Guizhou's feelings are left behind, the Pingtang depression is one of the thousands. The actual situation is that after countless studies and investigations, countless treks in the desolate mountains and mountains to determine this site.
"China's Sky Eye" FAST Xinhua News Agency reporter Ou Dongqu photographed TAKEFOTO courtesy photo
Why did you choose karst landforms? Because karst is a geologically developed lithological "hilly" landform, formed by water, but does not accumulate water, it is a "flush toilet" in nature. In order to reduce the construction cost of large spherical reflective telescopes, it is necessary to use natural karst depressions as sites. Since 1994, geological experts from the Institute of Remote Sensing have conducted long-term and arduous karst depression site surveys and comprehensive geological geography surveys in Guizhou. Based on aerial photographs and topographic maps, they found a large number of candidate depressions suitable for building large radio telescopes with a diameter of 300 to 500 meters.
At the end of 1995, a basic database of topographic and geomorphological forms of nearly 400 candidate depressions was established. The major axis azimuth, long and short axis ratio, depression depth, number of surrounding peaks, diameter, geographical coordinates, and peak altitude of each depression are recorded. Then, a digital topographic map of the key depressions was studied. Preliminary analysis of civil engineering and distribution of feeder support towers between the depression and fast spheres was also carried out. The site selection also analyzed and evaluated the electromagnetic wave environment, meteorology, earthquake, resource environment, engineering geology and hydrogeology and social development status of the candidate area, and conducted a preliminary investigation of the surrounding water system.
For more than a decade, site selection staff have trekked between the green waters and green mountains of Guizhou. It also inspected the scale of the recent settlements, the status of the surrounding vegetation, the cultivated land of the depression, etc., and also asked the farmers in the villages near the candidate depressions about the microclimate conditions such as rain, snow, hail, lightning, and flooding, and used these folk information as a reference.
Therefore, the selection of the site is a multidisciplinary comprehensive evaluation taking into account many aspects such as physical geography, geomorphological development control factors, depression morphological characteristics, constituency hydrogeology, engineering geology, resource environment and electromagnetic tranquility.
Lovely FAST people
FAST condenses the painstaking efforts of china's old, middle-aged and young scientific and technological elites. They could have been paid higher, more comfortable lives, more prominent reputations than they are now... However, from the beginning of the thorns to the present silently stick to the inaccessible remote mountain recesses, they are unwavering. "Sky Eye Project" also tells their moving story.
He Chongyuan, former deputy secretary-general of the People's Government of Guizhou Province, said: "Taking a moment to read the "Heavenly Eye Project", I believe that readers will be touched by the spiritual outlook of fast people and triggered thinking, and constantly climbing on the rugged mountain road of scientific and social and economic development without fear of danger, to reach one glorious peak after another. ”
In China, from the central and relevant ministries and commissions of the state, down to the provinces, municipalities and even the most grass-roots peasants, all involved, all burst out of great enthusiasm, fully support FAST, especially the universities, state organs, enterprises, troops and even grass-roots organizations directly related to the project, forming a close linkage mechanism, constituting a comprehensive fighting platform that integrates intelligence, human, financial and material resources.
Science knows no borders, and it is difficult to build a car behind closed doors. In the past 25 years, no, in fact, for a longer period of time, well-known radio scientists and people of insight across the five continents of the world have been continuously attracted to participate in the demonstration, research and construction of FAST. Some of them have been Nobel Laureates, and some of them have been working with FAST people in various ways since the beginning, and have played an important role in the development and operation of FAST. Fast people have been carrying out research in both international and domestic categories, including you and me, I have you, and I have written an unprecedented scientific legend.
FAST is Guizhou, Chinese, and ultimately human.
After completion, FAST, in theory, has the ability to explore the deep space of the universe tens of billions of light years away, which will provide equipment support for the origin and evolution of the universe, the search for extraterrestrial civilizations, the observation of pulsars, the cosmic microwave background inspection and other scientific research in China and even the world astronomical and scientific community, and play a huge role in the future international astronomical exploration; at the same time, it also provides a demonstration for the independent development and intelligent manufacturing of China's high-end electronic equipment, which will further enhance our determination and confidence in becoming a manufacturing power!
Mr. Peng Bo recorded the history of the struggle of fast people to create a "giant eye of the sky" with their youth and life with his personal experience and popular language, which is a deep gift for the 5th anniversary of the completion of the "Chinese Sky Eye".
About the Author
Peng Bo, Ph.D. in Astrophysics, Isaacular National Astronomical Observatory Researcher. He has worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Netherlands Radio Astronomy Institute and the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Germany. He has long been engaged in the research of radio surveys, transient objects, giant radio galaxies, interplanetary scintillation and radio astronomy techniques and methods. In 1994, he co-initiated, proposed and developed the Chinese concept KARST of the large radio telescope LT (i.e. square kilometer array SKA), established and served as the leader of the LT research group, and jointly proposed its pilot unit FAST project. In 1995, he served as the executive deputy director of the LT China Promotion Committee, in 1998 as the director of the FAST Project Committee, in 2005 as the director of the Large Radio Telescope (FAST) Laboratory, and in 2008 as the deputy manager of the FAST Project of the National Major Science and Technology Infrastructure. In 2012, he served as the chief scientist of the 973 project SKA of the Ministry of Science and Technology, and served as the vice governor of Guizhou Province Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, leading the design of the Pingtang Astronomical Science Popularization Cultural Industrial Park, which has developed into a well-known astronomical town at home and abroad. In 2018, he served as the director of the FAST Key Laboratory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the director of the Guizhou Radio Observatory, and the deputy director of the Science and Technology Department of Guizhou Province. In 2019, he was appointed Deputy Director of the FAST Operations and Development Center.
Synopsis
"China Sky Eye" FAST, the world's largest single-antenna radio telescope to date, was inaugurated on September 25, 2016 in Pingtang County, Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province.
FAST Dreamer, which has lasted more than 20 years of exploration and development, has written a legend of China's radio astronomy from catching up to leading. Peng Bo, director of the FAST Key Laboratory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, from the perspective of witnesses throughout the whole process, used popular language, 300 precious pictures and a large number of first-hand materials to record the history of FAST from scratch and dared to be the first, telling how the fast concept was formed, why FAST size was selected 500 meters, why FAST settled in Qiannan, AND "three major fronts" Interesting topics such as how to create world wonders through thick and thin, as well as the contributions of the core members of the FAST team and the first to die, reveal many lesser-known stories such as how the "astronomical economy" started to help local development, why Nobel laureates fell in love with FAST at first sight, what INHERITANCE AND INNOVATION FAST has for Arecibo, and why FAST became the "world boss". (Editor-in-charge: Li Zhengrong)