On the occasion of the centenary of the founding of the Cpc, Chen Jingxiong, an expert in china's electromagnetic field theory and antenna technology, one of the main pioneers of antenna theory and guided radar antenna design, and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, also ushered in his centennial birthday. On October 13, 2021, in order to celebrate the centenary birthday of this veteran hero of China's missile cause, a symposium on the scientific life of Academician Chen Jingxiong with the theme of "Carrying Forward the Spirit of Aerospace and Inheriting the Character of Struggle" was held at the Second Academy of China Aerospace Science and Industry.
Academician Chen Jingxiong, born on October 16, 1921 in Zhenhai County, Zhejiang Province, is china's first generation of astronauts. Looking back on the glorious life of Academician Chen Jingxiong, he has made many outstanding contributions to China's national defense modernization. In the 1950s, Academician Chen Jingxiong solved the problem of communications in tunnel warfare in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, winning valuable time for the transmission of military information; at the same time, Academician Chen Jingxiong also laid the theoretical foundation for the antenna of China's first-generation surface-to-ground missile, the "Dongfeng-1," and installed a sharp "eye" for the missile. In 1970, Academician Chen Jingxiong also participated in the 715 Phased Array Radar Battle and was responsible for grasping the overall situation of the 102 Phased Array Radar Technology. In the study, a set of antenna-related calculation formulas were derived from Maxwell's equations, and the mechanism of blind spots generated by phased array antennas was theoretically clarified. He led the construction of multiple radars in the early stage of China's defense system, filling a number of technical gaps...
Academician Chen Jingxiong
Science and technology are self-reliant to strengthen themselves, and make good use of mathematics to solve all difficulties
"The reason why the old society was poor and backward and allowed others to be bullied was that science and technology were too backward, and all material civilization, including airplanes and cannons, was made up of technology, and if China wanted to become rich and strong, it was necessary to have developed science and technology as the premise..." Only by standing on its own in science and technology can it be self-reliant, and this is what Chen Jingxiong, who witnessed social chaos, realized. Chen Jingxiong's path to school was quite difficult, he attended two primary schools, two junior high schools and two high schools, during which he also dropped out of school twice because of the War of Resistance Against Japan. Although he has suffered many hardships, his desire to study has never stopped. During his university and graduate studies, Chen Jingxiong chose the major of electrical machinery and telecommunications, determined to contribute to the scientific research construction of New China with a solid professional foundation. In September 1948, Chen Jingxiong was admitted to the Institute of Telecommunications of Jiaotong University with the first place in calculus. When visiting the supervisor, Professor Zhang Zhongjun, Professor Zhang said kindly: "In this postgraduate examination, your mathematical results are particularly outstanding, and although the quota is very tight, we still admitted you." Because mathematical ability is the foundation of telecommunications research, I hope you can use this specialty in the future. ”
After the work, Chen Jingxiong did play this specialty.
Mathematical calculations in antenna design have always been a difficult point, especially in the field of short-wave antennas, when choosing a design method, mathematical approximation calculations are generally used first, and a method close to the actual situation is obtained, and then tested in the work. This approach is not only laborious, but also difficult to find the optimal solution. Chen Jingxiong came up with a way to derive a reasonable and effective calculation method from the basic model. This calculation method can not only get rid of traditional methods, but also speed up the design process and improve antenna accuracy.
Lean mathematical thinking led Chen Jingxiong to pioneer the direct solution method of maxwell's equation when designing the antenna of the "1059" (later known as "Dongfeng-1") missile. The "1059" is a first-generation domestically produced missile based on the Soviet "P-2" missile and the actual situation in China, while the missile antenna developed by Chen Jingxiong is the "eye" and "baton" of the missile.
Manuscript of Academician Chen Jingxiong
At that time, the drawings provided by the Soviet side were incomplete and they were tight-lipped about key technical issues. Chen Jingxiong led the team to rely on self-reliance, understand the design principles of the missile antenna, and develop it themselves. He proposed the direct solution method of Maxwell's equation, which greatly simplified the derivation of design calculation formulas such as metal cones, cylinders, and parabolic cylinders, provided a theoretical basis for the successful design of the projectile antenna, and broke the theoretical limitations of Soviet experts on antenna design.
Qian Xuesen also knew that Chen Jingxiong had expertise in mathematics. At the academic conference held in the academy, Chen Jingxiong once put forward unique insights on some mathematical problems, so that Qian Xuesen remembered this colleague with solid mathematical skills.
In 1962, when the Science and Technology Committee of the Fifth Academy of Sciences was established, Qian Xuesen nominated Chen Jingxiong as a member.
At the same time as the development of the "1059" missile, the state has also carried out another low-altitude missile imitation work code-named "543", which is the "Hongqi No. 1". At that time, the United States and Chiang Kai-shek used the U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance plane to wantonly invade China's volleys to provoke and threaten China's homeland security.
When the antenna system error problem occurred in the development of the "543" (later known as "Hongqi No. 1") guidance station, Qian Xuesen found Chen Jingxiong for the first time. He is very clear that to solve the "543" antenna system error problem can not be separated from mathematical calculations, Chen Jingxiong, who is well-versed in mathematics, is undoubtedly the best candidate.
When Qian Xuesen met with Chen Jingxiong and pointed out that he had tackled the problem of antenna error at the "543" guidance station, he relayed He Long's words: "Chairman Mao said that the U-2 plane of the United States cannot be shot down, he cannot sleep, and he must attack the key of technology and let Chairman Mao sleep well!" ”
Chen Jingxiong led the research team to go through half a year, after in-depth theoretical analysis and hundreds of experiments, to find the cause of the antenna error.
One night in January 1966, after testing the "curative" antenna, it was confirmed that Chen Jingxiong and the research team's modification plan was completely correct, and the 24 antennas supporting the "543" missiles that had been produced were "revived" and surpassed the same type of antenna in the Soviet Union. This marked the end of the imitation of the "543". After that, the "Red Flag One" was equipped to the troops, strengthening china's air defense forces.
This solution was applied to the production of the Hongqi II missile and the antenna of the Hongqi II A missile, the former of which shot down the "U-2" aircraft for the first time on June 27, 1967, and assumed the sacred duty of defending the territorial airspace of the motherland.
In decades of scientific research, Chen Jingxiong regards mathematics as a sharp blade to overcome research problems in the fields of electromagnetic fields, antennas, radar and other communications. "I think that in our line of work, the level of mathematical theory must be improved." Don't think that we are engaged in engineering, mathematics is dispensable, in fact, it is not the same thing at all. Mathematics is a very logical science, which is not directly useful, but it is a basic skill. ”
In his later years, Chen Jingxiong's greatest hobby was mathematical research. His house has 4 bookcases filled with various professional books. "These books are not easy to read, but they are very mentally motivated." Seeing the place of interest, he often uses a set of self-created algorithms to re-derive the relevant mathematical formulas. "Sometimes I'm happy to have the formulas derived. So my life is very full, and my head will not be empty.
Be the same age as the party and follow the party's goals
While constantly exploring the cause of national defense science and technology, Chen Jingxiong also actively moved closer to the party organization. Born in 1921, he is the same age as the party. From the time he was a student, he gradually established a progressive world view, outlook on life and values.
Chen Jingxiong Jiaotong University's graduation certificate has five hollow red characters lined up in the middle of the background - "Serving the People". Chen Jingxiong said: "Having personally experienced the old and new societies and personally experienced the various stages of development of New China, I deeply felt: Without the Communist Party, there would be no New China, and without the Communist Party, China could not be developed... I hope to join the Communist Party of China as soon as possible. ”
After submitting his first application to join the party, Chen Jingxiong said to his sister, "I have many shortcomings, and I must change them and strive to become a qualified Communist Party member."
In the 25 years of joining the party, he has always set strict demands on himself by the standards of communist party members, adhered to the belief of science and technology to save the country, and strengthened the original intention of serving the country with science and technology. In particular, under the orders of Qian Xuesen to tackle the antenna of the "543" guidance station, Chen Jingxiong felt the trust of the party and the state in him even more, and the level of ideological understanding was further improved.
In 1979, 23 party branches of the Science and Technology Department approved Chen Jingxiong's application to join the party and agreed to recruit him as a prospective communist party member. The road to joining the party, which ran with the scientific research cause, ushered in the dawn.
The resolution of the branch meeting reads: "I hope that Comrade Chen Jingxiong will go deep into the front line after joining the party and make contributions to the four modernizations with his technical expertise." In the subsequent scientific research work, Chen Jingxiong continued to sow the spark of science and technology for the development of the aerospace industry.
Chen Jingxiong believes that talent is a major support for the development of the aerospace industry, and he has accumulated and summed up a set of theories and experiences suitable for the development of the aerospace industry in his long-term scientific research work, and he has passed on these experiences to young scientific and technological personnel without reservation.
When there was an extreme shortage of talents in the early days of the institute, Chen Jingxiong was the first to propose the talent training method of "mentoring and apprenticeship". He encouraged apprentices with technical foundations to practice and taught those without professional knowledge.
Under the guidance of his aptitude teaching, a group of young technical backbones have been trained, and some outstanding students have grown into technical experts. Such an effective talent training method attracted the attention of the leadership, and in 1961, the Second Branch promoted "mentoring and apprenticeship" throughout the hospital.
In order to meet the needs of talent echelon construction, he also zhang luo aerospace system independent training graduate students. He has successively taught at Peking University, Tsinghua University, Beihang and other universities, sowing the spark of science and technology for the development of the aerospace industry. When teaching "Electromagnetic Wave Theory" for Beihang Airlines, because it was a brand new course and there were no ready-made teaching materials available, Chen Jingxiong wrote "Electromagnetic Wave Theory" to share his experience in many years of electromagnetic field microwave theory research.
Due to the relationship between age and physical strength, he has rarely participated in specific work in his old age, but he still served as a technical consultant of the Group and the Science and Technology Committee of 23 institutes, participated in the review of model schemes, and participated in various academic activities.
In his 90s, Chen Jingxiong still insisted on studying and researching, using self-created mathematical algorithms to derive formulas. "No Alzheimer's disease" is what he asks of himself. We must "live to be old, learn to be old, and work until old," Chen Jingxiong said in an interview with the media. "I witnessed the first centenary of the party this year, and I will continue to watch the development of the motherland's cause and aerospace industry in the future."