China News Service, Pingtang, Guizhou, February 7th, title: Exploring the brain of the "Chinese Sky Eye": 10% of the observation time will be open to the global scientific community

　　Author Zhang Wei Qu Honglun Wang Xi

　　When Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, President of the State, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission visited Guizhou on February 5th, he cordially met with the person in charge of the "China Sky Eye" project and key scientific research personnel. Representatives of scientific and technological workers connected to them and wished the vast numbers of scientific and technological workers nationwide.

The data picture shows the panoramic view of the "China Sky Eye" taken from the top of a mountain around FAST.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Sun Zifa

　　On the 6th, a reporter from China News Agency visited the China Skyeye Control Room, known as the brain of the "China Skyeye".

　　Located in Pingtang County, Guizhou Province, the 500-meter spherical radio telescope (FAST) is currently the world's largest single-aperture radio telescope and is known as the "China Sky Eye".

"China SkyEye's main control room is the brain of the telescope. How do you move the telescope? Where does it point? It's all done in the main control room." Sun Chun, a measurement and control engineer of "China SkyEye", told reporters, "The main control room is divided into control, measurement, and scientific records. And other modules, the cooperation between the modules allows the telescope to accurately point to the observed celestial body, so that it can accurately receive signals."

　　After discussion 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 a reporter from China News Agency that this opening is a gradual process. In April, "China Sky Eye" will have 10% of the observation time open to international peers. At that time, "according to the scoring situation of the project review, the 10% It is expected that the competition will be fierce.”

　　Sun Chun, who is in charge of the arrangement of the observation plan, told reporters that the observation planning team of the "China Sky Eye" will coordinate and allocate the observation time of global scientists.

"After international scientists submit an application, they will be evaluated by a special committee, and the observation time of each project will be allocated after the grade is evaluated. Finally, we will establish the project to determine the observation time. The upcoming international cooperation is the focus of the China SkyEye Master Control Office. One of his jobs, Huang Menglin, who is determined to be a "screw", wants to improve his English so that he can better communicate with overseas customers.

　　"China Sky Eye" data center operation and maintenance engineer Huang Menglin told reporters: "My job is to ensure that the massive amount of information that FAST receives every day is preserved and provided to the scientists. I hope they will produce early and more results."

　　After commissioning, trial operation, and the official opening of the operation, nearly 6,000 aircraft hours of observation services have accumulated. At present, the "China Sky Eye" is operating stably and reliably, and its sensitivity ranks first among radio telescopes in the world. Advanced radio telescope.

　　"China Sky Eye" took 26 years from pre-research to completion, and nearly a hundred scientific researchers went on to invest in this project.

Up to now, "China SkyEye" has discovered more than 300 pulsars, and published more than 40 papers based on SkyEye data. Among them, research results related to rapid radio bursts have been selected as one of the top ten scientific discoveries of Nature in 2020.

　　It is relying on a series of Chinese innovation and Chinese wisdom that the above results have been achieved.

The 30-ton "China Sky Eye" feeder module is the most dazzling "palm pearl". This platform, which is dragged by six steel cables, weighs 30 tons and is responsible for collecting outer space signals received by the telescope's reflective surface.

　　"What I have done is to provide a precise positioning for the feeder cabin to ensure that it can accurately reach the focal point of the reflecting surface and can accurately receive the electromagnetic waves converged on the reflecting surface." Song Benning, a survey engineer of "China Sky Eye", is responsible for it. The measurement work of the feed cabin and the reflecting 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 continue to provide astronomers with more observational cornerstones in the field of astronomy is a vision of the sky. The challenge of the maintenance team."

　　Song Benning said: "We will explore new methods to ensure the normal, safe, effective, and long-term operation of the telescope. First, 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 operate. The world's leading level."

　　"Small wins make big wins" is a true portrayal of Huang Menglin's work. "We only do our own little things, but the accumulation of these little things is to run the "China Eye" well, and then we can produce world-wide scientific research results. We have a sense of accomplishment and honor."

　　The "China Sky Eye" operation and maintenance team, which is quite mysterious in the eyes of outsiders, is actually a "teacher of youth". With an average age of over 30, they also have a wonderful amateur life during their shifts.

Song Benning, who loves sports, will have a football match with his friends from time to time; partners from the south and the north will share the wonderful stories and food of his hometown with Huang Menglin; when experts and scholars come to exchange, Sun Chun will feel the collision of ideas...

　　As the Chinese New Year is approaching, the "China Sky Eye" operation and maintenance team hopes that "China Sky Eye" will have more results in the new year, and hope that more aspiring young people will devote themselves to the "China Sky Eye" business.

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