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为了捕捉宇宙X射线——“天关”卫星大视场聚焦成像技术攻坚纪实
Ke Ji Ri Bao· 2025-12-18 03:30
Core Insights - The "Tian Guan" satellite has made significant discoveries, including the identification of a new type of X-ray transient celestial body and the detection of weak X-ray outbursts within the Milky Way, which opens new avenues for discovering stellar black holes [1] Group 1: Technology and Innovation - The satellite's success is attributed to the custom-designed micro-pore lobster-eye X-ray focusing imaging technology, which provides a wide field of view and significantly enhances detection sensitivity and positioning accuracy, outperforming similar international devices [1] - The lobster-eye design mimics the unique structure of lobster eyes, which have numerous small tubes that reflect light to focus it accurately, a concept that had not been successfully implemented for decades due to technical challenges [2] - The development of the lobster-eye lens required high precision, integrating nearly 1 million small holes within a 4 cm x 4 cm area, which initially faced significant performance issues but was eventually improved to a resolution of 3 arc minutes after nearly five years of optimization [3] Group 2: Detector Development - The initial choice of a gas detector was abandoned due to its vulnerability to gas leaks upon impact, leading the team to pivot towards developing a back-illuminated complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) detector, which had not been previously used in astronomical observations [5][6] - The CMOS detector development took four years, with the first samples produced in 2021, marking a significant technological advancement as it was a novel application in the field [6] Group 3: Satellite Communication and Configuration - The satellite's communication system was designed to utilize the BeiDou short message system to enable real-time data transmission, overcoming traditional limitations of ground station dependency [8] - The configuration of the satellite was optimized to accommodate 12 lobster-eye telescopes and 2 follow-up X-ray telescopes, utilizing a new structural design that allowed for efficient spatial arrangement and maximum observational effectiveness [9] - The "Tian Guan" satellite has successfully detected over 160 transient celestial bodies and has guided global telescopes for follow-up observations, showcasing its capability to discover new celestial phenomena [9]
取得多项独有重大成果!性能远超国际同类设备
Huan Qiu Wang Zi Xun· 2025-12-17 10:42
Core Viewpoint - The "Tian Guan" satellite, equipped with a custom-designed lobster-eye X-ray focusing imaging technology, significantly enhances its observational capabilities, allowing for a wide field of view and improved sensitivity and precision compared to international counterparts [1][2]. Group 1: Technological Advancements - The lobster-eye technology enables the satellite to cover approximately one-eleventh of the sky in a single observation [1]. - The research team improved the lens resolution from over ten arc minutes to three arc minutes over nearly five years [1]. - The satellite's design incorporates a new three-dimensional truss and support structure, optimizing the layout of 14 telescopes for maximum observational efficiency [2]. Group 2: Achievements and Discoveries - After more than a year of operation, the "Tian Guan" satellite has detected over 160 transient celestial bodies [2]. - The satellite has successfully guided major global space and ground telescopes for follow-up observations [2].
【科技日报】为了捕捉宇宙X射线
Ke Ji Ri Bao· 2025-12-17 02:13
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]