Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope
FAST, or the Five hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope, first proposed in 1994, is a radio telescope to be built by 2013 in a natural basin （大窝凼洼地）,[1] Pingtang County 平塘县 near Duyun, capital of the Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture 黔南布依族苗族自治州, Guizhou Province 贵州, southwest China [2] As of June 2011[update] construction should be complete by September 2016.[3]
It will have 4,600 triangular panels and be similar in design to the Arecibo Observatory, utilizing a natural hollow (karst) to provide support for the telescope dish. As the name suggests, it will have a diameter of 500m (one 里 lǐ).
It will use an adaptive surface that adjusts to create parabolas in different directions, with an effective dish size of 300m. This means that it will not be confined to pointing directly upwards, but capable of covering the sky within 40 degrees from the zenith. Its working frequency will be 0.3-5.1 GHz, with a pointing precision of 4 arcseconds.[4]
In October 2008, the project was approved by the National development and reform commission. On December 26, 2008, a foundation laying ceremony was held on the construction site.[5]
The chief scientist of the project is Nan Rendong, a researcher with the Chinese National Astronomical Observatory, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
It will be the world's largest and most sensitive radio telescope and three times more sensitive than the Arecibo Observatory.[6]
See also
References
- ^ "FAST台址－贵州省黔南州平塘县大窝凼洼地图片". 中科院大科学装置办公室. 2008-04-21. Retrieved June 23, 2008. [dead link]
- ^ "500米口径球面射电望远镜（FAST）". 中科院大科学装置办公室. 2008-04-21. Retrieved June 23, 2008. [dead link]
- ^ New Scientist. 11 June 2011, p20-21
- ^ "FAST home page". National Astronomical Observertories, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Retrieved December 28, 2008.
- ^ "中国科学院·贵州省共建国家重大科技基础设施500米口径球面射电望远镜（ＦＡＳＴ）项目奠基". Guizhou Daily. 2008-012-27. Retrieved December 28, 2008.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ China starts building world's biggest radio telescope, 13 June 2011, Anil Ananthaswamy, New Scientist, http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21028165.300-china-starts-building-worlds-biggest-radio-telescope.html?
- Nan, R. (16 June 2002). "Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope - KARST" (PDF).
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - spacedaily.com (23 November 2006). "China To Build World's Largest Radio Telescope".
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - Nan, R. (23 May 2011). "The Five-Hundred-Meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) Project". arXiv:1105.3794.
{{cite arXiv}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - Jin, C. (2008). "The FAST telescope and its possible contribution to high precision astrometry" (PDF).
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help)
25°39′9″N 106°51′24″E / 25.65250°N 106.85667°E
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