Pictured here is a 500-meter aperture spherical radio telescope (FAST) taken on February 7. China News Service reporter Qu Honglun photographed
On the 6th, a reporter from China News Service visited the China Tianyan General Control Room, which is known as the brain of "China's Heavenly Eye".
Located in Pingtang County, Guizhou Province, the 500-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) is currently the world's largest single-aperture radio telescope, known as the "Chinese Sky Eye". "The Chinese Tianyan General Control Room is the brain of the telescope, how does the telescope move?" Where do you point? It was all done on the side of the general control room. Sun Chun, a measurement and control engineer of "China Sky Eye", told reporters, "The general control room is divided into modules such as control, measurement, and scientific recording, and the mutual cooperation between the modules allows the telescope to accurately point to the observed celestial body, so as to accurately receive the signal." ”
After discussions by the "China Sky Eye" Scientific Committee and the Time Allocation Committee, the "China Sky Eye" will be officially opened to the global scientific community from April 2021. The relevant person in charge revealed to the China News Agency reporter that the opening is a gradual process, and in April, "China Sky Eye" will have 10% of the observation time open to international counterparts, when "according to the scoring of the project review, the allocation will be carried out in this 10% time, and the competition is expected to be fierce."
The picture shows measurement and control engineer Sun Chun (left) and colleagues monitoring data in the main control room. China News Service reporter Qu Honglun photographed
Sun Chun, who is in charge of the observation plan arrangement, told reporters that the observation planning team of "China's Sky Eye" coordinates the allocation of observation time for global scientists. "After the international scientists apply, they are evaluated by a special committee, and the observation time of each project is allocated after the rating is determined, and finally the observation time is determined by us for the establishment of the project. The upcoming international cooperation is one of the key tasks of China's Tianyan General Control Office, and Huang Menglin, who is determined to be a good "screw", wants to improve his English level so that he can better communicate with overseas customers.
Huang Menglin, an operation and maintenance engineer at the "China Tianyan" data center, told reporters: "My job is to ensure that the massive amount of information received by FAST every day is preserved and provided to scientists, hoping that they will produce results early and more results." ”
The picture shows the comprehensive office building where the "China Sky Eye" general control room is located. China News Service reporter Qu Honglun photographed
After nearly 6,000 hours of observation services after commissioning, trial operation and official opening operation, the current "China Tianyan" is stable and reliable, the sensitivity ranks first among the world's radio telescopes, and the volume of the space range that can be effectively explored far exceeds the most advanced radio telescopes before.
"China Tianyan" took 26 years from pre-research to completion, and nearly 100 scientific researchers went to the project one after another. Up to now, "China Sky Eye" has found more than 300 pulsars, and more than 40 papers have been published based on Sky Eye data, of which fast radio burst related research results have been selected as the top ten scientific discoveries in Nature in 2020.
It is precisely by relying on a series of Chinese innovations and Chinese wisdom that the above results have been achieved. The 30-ton "China Sky Eye" feeder module is the most eye-catching "palm pearl", a platform dragged by 6 steel cables weighing 30 tons, which is responsible for collecting outer space signals received by the reflector surface of the telescope.
"What I did was to give the feeder capsule a precise positioning to make sure that it could accurately reach the focal point of the reflective surface and accurately receive the electromagnetic waves converging on the reflective surface." Song Benning, a survey engineer at China Sky Eye, is responsible for the measurement of the feeder module and reflective surface, "The collapse of the Arecibo telescope in the United States is a warning." How to ensure that the telescope can continue to lead the world, and can continue to provide astronomers with more observation timing in the field of astronomy is a challenge to the Operation and Maintenance Team of The Eye of heaven. ”
The picture shows Song Benning, a survey engineer of "China Sky Eye", monitoring data in the general control room. China News Service reporter Qu Honglun photographed
Song Benning said: "We will explore new ways to ensure that the telescope can operate normally, safely, effectively and for a long time." First of all, we must ensure the normal operation of the telescope, and then keep up with the development needs of the times, update our technology, and ensure that the telescope can always be at the world's leading level. ”
"Accumulating small victories for big victories" is the true portrayal of Huang Menglin's work, "We are all only doing our own small things, but these small things accumulate, that is, to run the 'Chinese Heavenly Eye' well, and then we can produce worldwide scientific research results, which makes us have a sense of achievement and honor." ”
In the eyes of outsiders, the mysterious "China Tianyan" operation and maintenance team is actually a "teacher of youth", with an average age of more than 30 years old, and they also have a wonderful amateur life when they take turns. Song Benning, who loves sports, will come to a football match with his partners from time to time; partners from Tiannanhaibei will share wonderful stories and food from his hometown with Huang Menglin; when experts and scholars come to communicate, Sun Chun will feel the collision of ideas...
Approaching the Chinese New Year, the "China Tianyan" operation and maintenance team hopes that the "China Tianyan" will have more results in the new year, and hopes that more aspiring young people will devote themselves to the cause of "China Tianyan".
(Source: China News Network)