【科技日报】为了捕捉宇宙X射线

Core Viewpoint - The "Tian Guan" satellite has made significant discoveries in the field of X-ray astronomy, including the identification of new transient celestial bodies and weak X-ray bursts within the Milky Way, which may lead to the discovery of stellar black holes. Group 1: Technological Innovations - The "Tian Guan" satellite utilizes a custom-designed micro-pore lobster-eye X-ray focusing imaging technology, which enhances its field of view and sensitivity, outperforming similar international devices [1] - The lobster-eye design mimics the structure of lobster eyes, allowing for a wide field of view and precise focusing, a concept that had not been successfully realized for decades due to technical challenges [2] - The development of the lobster-eye lens required high precision, integrating nearly 1 million tiny square holes within a 4 cm x 4 cm area, which posed significant engineering challenges [3] Group 2: Development Challenges - Initial attempts to create the lens resulted in poor performance, with imaging capabilities falling short of requirements, necessitating extensive design optimizations over nearly five years [3] - The team faced setbacks with the gas detector initially chosen for the satellite, which was prone to failure due to gas leakage upon impact, leading to a pivot towards a CMOS detector [6] - The CMOS detector development took four years, with the team facing immense pressure as there were no backup plans, making the success of this component critical for the project's continuation [6] Group 3: Satellite Integration and Communication - The integration of the lobster-eye telescope into the "Tian Guan" satellite required solving rapid communication challenges to transmit X-ray signals in real-time, leading to the innovative use of the BeiDou short message system for global coverage [8] - The design of the satellite platform involved complex spatial arrangements to accommodate 12 lobster-eye telescopes and 2 follow-up X-ray telescopes, resulting in a unique structural design resembling a lotus flower [9] Group 4: Achievements and Future Prospects - After over a year of operation, the "Tian Guan" satellite has detected more than 160 transient celestial bodies and has guided global observatories for follow-up observations, showcasing its capabilities in discovering new celestial phenomena [10] - The satellite is expected to continue contributing to the understanding of dynamic cosmic events, enhancing human knowledge of the universe [10]