The "Chinese Eye of Heaven" has once again made a world-class discovery!

What is Chinese Tianyan?China's Tianyan, officially known as the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST), is the world's largest and most sensitive Radio telescope, and also the largest single aperture and most sensitive Radio telescope in China's scientific and technological history.Located in the invisible valley of Pingtang County, Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province, China's Tianyan covers about 30 football fields and is composed of 4450 triangular reflectors, which can cover the whole southern hemisphere sky

What is Chinese Tianyan?

China's Tianyan, officially known as the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST), is the world's largest and most sensitive Radio telescope, and also the largest single aperture and most sensitive Radio telescope in China's scientific and technological history.

Located in the invisible valley of Pingtang County, Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province, China's Tianyan covers about 30 football fields and is composed of 4450 triangular reflectors, which can cover the whole southern hemisphere sky.

The main scientific objective of the Chinese Celestial Eye is to detect astronomical phenomena and signals such as Pulsar, neutral hydrogen, interstellar molecules, interstellar communication, etc., providing a powerful tool for human beings to understand the universe and search for extraterrestrial civilization.

What are the important achievements of China's Tianyan?

China Tianyan was established in 2007, started construction in 2011, completed and put into use on September 25, 2016, passed national acceptance in January 2020, and officially opened to the world by the end of March 2021.

As of July 2022, China's heavenly eye has discovered more than 660 new Pulsar, entering the period of achievement explosion, greatly expanding the limit of human's vision of observing the universe.

Among them, some Pulsar have special physical characteristics and scientific value, such as:

-FRB121102: This is a fast radio burst, a strong radio pulse that lasts for several milliseconds, and its origin and essence are still unclear. China's Tianyan first detected this signal in 2017 and discovered its 157 day periodicity in 2020.

-PSRJ1859-01: This is a twin Pulsar, that is, the system of two Pulsar rotating around the common center of mass. This system can be used to test the existence of General relativity and Gravitational wave.

-PSRJ1931-01: This is a Pulsar with extreme Rotation period evolution rate, that is, its rotation speed is constantly changing. This may be related to its magnetic field or surrounding environment.

In addition to Pulsar, China's Tianyan has made important progress in other aspects, such as:

-Neutral hydrogen observation: Neutral hydrogen is one of the most abundant elements in the universe and an important clue for studying the formation and evolution of galaxies. The Chinese heavenly eye has observed the neutral hydrogen signal about 4.5 billion light years away from the earth, which has broken the observation record of the Radio telescope.

-Interstellar molecular observation: Interstellar molecules refer to molecules that exist in interstellar space and serve as the basis for studying the formation of stars and planets. China's Tianyan has observed a variety of interstellar molecules, such as methyl Formate, carbon sulfide, methylamine, etc., demonstrating its strong ability in low-frequency radio bands.

-Interstellar communication exploration: Interstellar communication refers to communication between different planets or stellar systems, and is a way to search for extraterrestrial civilizations. China's Tianyan has conducted joint observations with Radio telescope in many countries and regions, testing its feasibility and potential in interstellar communication.

What are the characteristics and advantages of Chinese Tianyan?

As the largest and most sensitive Radio telescope in the world, China's Tianyan has the following characteristics and advantages:

-Large aperture: The aperture of the Chinese Celestial Eye has reached 500 meters, making it the largest single aperture Radio telescope in the world at present, nearly twice as large as the Arecibo Telescope in Puerto Rico (305 meters in diameter) in the United States, and five times as large as the Radio telescope in South France (100 meters in diameter). This means that the Chinese heavenly eye can receive more radio wave signals, improving its sensitivity and resolution.

-Flexible structure: China Tianyan adopts an innovative "antenna array+cable network+driver" structure, which can achieve real-time deformation of the reflection surface by changing the tension of the cable network and the position of the driver, thereby adjusting the observation direction and range. This allows the Chinese Celestial Eye to cover the whole southern hemisphere sky, unlike other Radio telescope, which are restricted by terrain or machinery.

-Advanced technology: China Tianyan has applied multiple internationally leading or domestically pioneered technologies, such as ultra-high precision measurement systems, fast multi beam receivers, intelligent terminal data processing systems, etc., improving its observation efficiency and data quality. At the same time, China Tianyan is constantly upgrading and improving its technology to meet different scientific needs and challenges.

What are the impacts and significance of the Chinese heavenly eye?

As the largest single aperture and most sensitive Radio telescope in the history of Chinese science and technology, China's Tianyan has an important impact and significance on promoting scientific development, cultural exchanges, social progress and other aspects of China and the world:

-Scientific influence: The Chinese heavenly eye provides a powerful tool for human beings to explore the mysteries of the universe. It can reveal the essence and laws of Pulsar, neutral hydrogen, interstellar molecules and other astronomical phenomena, and provide new clues and evidence for understanding the origin, evolution and structure of the universe. At the same time, the Chinese Heavenly Eye also provides new possibilities and hope for the search for extraterrestrial civilizations, which can detect farther and weaker radio signals, and perhaps discover the existence of other civilizations.

-Cultural influence: As an international scientific project, the Chinese Tianyan not only demonstrates China's innovative ability and contribution spirit in the field of radio astronomy, but also promotes exchanges and cooperation with other countries and regions in scientific research, talent cultivation, technological exchange, social cooperation, and other aspects, enhancing mutual understanding and respect between different cultures and ethnic groups. At the same time, the Chinese heavenly eye has also stimulated people's curiosity and exploration spirit about the universe and nature, and improved people's Scientific literacy and cultural self-confidence.

-Social impact: The construction and operation of China's Tianyan not only drive progress in local economic development, environmental protection, and people's livelihood improvement, but also provide new opportunities and impetus for local industries such as education, tourism, and culture. At the same time, China Tianyan has also provided a new platform and resources for scientific education and popularization at home and abroad, attracting numerous students, teachers, science popularization workers, media professionals, etc. to visit, learn, and disseminate the scientific knowledge and spirit of China Tianyan.

summary

The Chinese Heavenly Eye is a milestone scientific project, an outstanding representative of China in the field of radio astronomy, and a super telescope for human exploration of the mysteries of the universe. China's Tianyan has made a series of important scientific achievements, demonstrating its strong capabilities in Pulsar, neutral hydrogen, interstellar molecules, etc. The Chinese heavenly eye also has important influence and significance in promoting scientific development, cultural exchange, social progress, and other aspects between China and the world. We hope that the Chinese heavenly eye can play a greater role in the future, making greater contributions to human understanding of the universe and the search for extraterrestrial civilizations.

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