Beijing, March 3 (Xinhua) -- China plans to launch a new X-ray astronomical satellite, the Einstein probe, by the end of 16, which is expected to capture the first rays of light from supernova explosions, help search for and pinpoint gravitational wave sources, and discover more distant and fainter objects and fleeting mysteries in the universe.
Yuan Weimin, chief scientist of the Einstein probe satellite and researcher of the National Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, introduced at the 35th National Space Exploration Academic Symposium recently held that the satellite project has entered the final stage of development.
Yuan Weimin said that there are many spectacular and magical temporary sources and explosive sources in the universe, most of which can radiate huge energy in a short time, showing complex brightness changes in the X-ray band, faintly appearing from time to time, such as black holes that are devouring stars, brilliant "fireworks" blooming when stars die.
"Rapid transient sources arise at critical stages in celestial evolution and the formation and evolution of compact objects, and we still do not know some of these physical nature and processes, they are probes for cosmology, galaxy research, and laboratories for exploring the laws of physics under extreme conditions." Yuan Weimin said that X-rays are an important band of temporary source detection, but the temporary source that scientists have discovered is only the tip of the iceberg in the universe, which requires a new generation of detection equipment with a large field of view, high sensitivity, high resolution and rapid response ability.
Inspired by the peculiar focused imaging principle of lobster eyes, scientists have designed a special new X-ray telescope with a large viewing field of view and higher detection sensitivity.
That is, such a telescope can see the darker, farther universe while looking wider. Thanks to the Lobster Eye telescope technology, the Einstein probe satellite can conduct large-field of view, high-sensitivity, and fast time-domain sky survey monitoring in the soft X-ray band, which is currently poorly understood. Yuan Weimin said.
He introduced that many celestial bodies in the universe have soft X-ray radiation, coupled with the relatively high sensitivity of Einstein's probe, so the satellite's detection targets are very extensive, and its core scientific goal is to discover X-ray temporary and drastic celestial objects in the universe and monitor the activity of known celestial bodies; Investigate the nature of these celestial bodies and phenomena and related physical processes; Discover and explore the glow of silent black holes in the universe; Mapping the distribution of black holes to better understand their origin, evolution and how they accrete matter; Explore X-ray signals that accompany gravitational wave events to improve understanding of extremely compact objects and their merging processes.
The X-ray Imaging Laboratory of the National Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences began to develop lobster eye X-ray imaging technology since 2010, and after years of key technology research, it finally made a breakthrough, fully mastered the technology, and has completely independent intellectual property rights. The team tested and verified this technology on the Space New Technology Test Satellite launched in July 2022, and obtained and publicly released a wide-field X-ray focused imaging sky map for the first time in the world.
Paul Brian, a well-known expert in the field and a professor at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom, said that this technology will bring a transformative impetus to cosmic X-ray monitoring, and also shows the great scientific potential of Einstein's probe.
According to reports, the Einstein probe is another space science satellite developed by the Space Science Pilot Project II of the Chinese Academy of Sciences after "Taiji-1", "Huairou-1" and "Quaofu-1", and the European Space Agency, the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Germany and the French Space Agency jointly participated in the satellite project.