【科技日报】“草原天眼”逐日追风——探秘我国首台行星际闪烁监测望远镜

Core Viewpoint - The establishment of China's first interstellar flicker monitoring telescope, known as the "Grassland Eye," marks a significant advancement in the country's capabilities for ground-based observation of interstellar flickering, enhancing its position in global space weather research [1][3]. Group 1: Telescope Overview - The interstellar flicker monitoring telescope is a major piece of equipment under the national infrastructure project "Meridian Project Phase II," with its detection sensitivity at an internationally leading level [1][3]. - The telescope consists of a main station and two auxiliary stations, forming an equilateral triangle layout, with each station approximately 200 kilometers apart [2][3]. Group 2: Purpose and Functionality - The primary purpose of monitoring interstellar flickering is to conduct space weather research and disaster forecasting, as solar activities can lead to significant disturbances affecting Earth [3][5]. - The telescope can capture radio signals from cosmic sources that are disrupted by solar wind, allowing for the monitoring of solar storms and their potential impacts on satellites, communication, navigation, and power grids [5][6]. Group 3: Technical Innovations - The main station features three rows of parabolic antennas, each measuring 140 meters in length and 40 meters in width, making it the largest parabolic radio telescope in China [6][7]. - Key technological breakthroughs include high-precision synchronization control and a digital multi-beam receiving system, which have been fully domestically developed [6][7]. Group 4: Performance and Impact - The "Grassland Eye" can simultaneously receive signals from multiple directions, with a detection sensitivity capable of capturing cosmic radio signals weaker than mobile phone signals by a factor of 10 billion [6][7]. - Since its operation, the telescope has demonstrated exceptional performance, successfully recording significant solar storm events and contributing valuable data for space weather forecasting [7].