Scientists at the Huairou Solar Observation Base of the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences recently announced that they have successfully developed the world's first mid-infrared observation system for accurate measurement of the sun's magnetic field, called the AIMS telescope. This important breakthrough means that the measurement of the sun's magnetic field has reached the level of "direct measurement" from the "indirect measurement" in the past. The AIMS telescope is a major instrument project supported by the National Natural Science Commission of China, and is located on the D platform of Saishiteng Mountain, Lenghu Town, Mangya City, Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, China, with an average altitude of about 4,000 meters.
Originally, the measurement of the sun's magnetic field has always been a problem, and in the past, measurements could only be carried out indirectly because the observation instruments could not distinguish small cleavage distances. However, the AIMS telescope uses the technology of ultra-narrowband Fourier spectroscopy to directly measure the strength of the sun's magnetic field in the mid-infrared band. This breakthrough is mainly due to the telescope's operating wavelength of 12At 3 microns, the Zeeman cleavage at this wavelength increases by a factor of several hundred compared to the visible and near-infrared bands, making magnetic field measurements possible.
With more accurate measurements of the Sun's magnetic field, the AIMS telescope will demystify the Sun's presence in the mid-infrared band. The telescope solves the problems of high environmental background noise and degraded detector performance faced by mid-infrared solar observation. Its infrared imaging terminal is composed of infrared optics, focal plane array detector and vacuum refrigeration system, all components are domestic. This terminal system is mainly used for monochrome imaging of the Sun in the 8 to 10 micron wavelength range, and can study the mechanisms of matter and energy transfer during violent solar eruptions.
In addition, the AIMS telescope has also made a breakthrough in the measurement of the mid-infrared solar magnetic field, and realized the system-level polarization performance compensation and calibration of the mid-infrared solar telescope. The telescope system is designed with an off-axis optical system and is equipped with a high-spectral resolution infrared imaging spectrometer and a polarization measurement system, which is also the first time for Chinese astronomical observations. In addition to its leading role in the measurement of the solar magnetic field, the AIMS telescope will also bring new opportunities for scientific research in the mid-infrared wavelength.
As an important part of solar activity, the solar magnetic field has an important impact on many phenomena on the earth. The solar magnetic field can affect solar activity phenomena such as the temperature distribution of the sun's surface, the formation of sunspots, and the eruption of solar flares. Understanding the changes and properties of the Sun's magnetic field is important for us to understand the nature of solar activity and its impact on the Earth and humans.
However, the measurement of the solar magnetic field has always been a challenging task. Due to the very strong magnetic field of the sun and the presence of many interfering factors, it is difficult to accurately measure the solar magnetic field. In the past, the nature and strength of the Sun's magnetic field could only be inferred by indirect methods because observation instruments could not distinguish very small changes in the magnetic field on the surface of the Sun. This indirect measurement method occupies a large proportion of the study of the solar magnetic field, but its accuracy and reliability are limited.
To solve this dilemma, scientists have been exploring new observation techniques and equipment. The advent of the AIMS telescope fills the gap in the measurement of the solar magnetic field in the mid-infrared band and realizes the direct measurement of the solar magnetic field. The precise measurement of the strength and direction of the sun's magnetic field through this device will bring a game-changing breakthrough to the study of solar physics.
As the first equipment dedicated to the observation of the solar magnetic field in the mid-infrared in the world, the AIMS telescope has important scientific significance and application value. First, by eliminating background noise and improving detector performance, the AIMS telescope realizes the direct measurement of the solar magnetic field in the mid-infrared and provides a more accurate data basis for studying the solar magnetic field activity. This will help to deeply study the nature and mechanism of solar magnetic field activity, and further improve the ability to understand solar activity.
Secondly, the successful development of the AIMS telescope marks an important breakthrough in China's research in the field of solar physics, which is of great significance for promoting the development of astronomy in China. The development process of the equipment involves breakthroughs in optical design, detector technology, vacuum refrigeration and other fields, which has improved China's scientific research capabilities in related fields and provided more opportunities for international cooperation and academic exchanges.
Finally, the development of the AIMS telescope is also of great significance for scientific research in the mid-infrared band. The mid-infrared band is a relatively unknown field, and detailed observations and studies in this band are expected to reveal many new solar activity phenomena and physical mechanisms, and make more contributions to human understanding of the universe.
Accurate measurement of the sun's magnetic field has always been a goal pursued by scientists. As an important part of solar activity, the solar magnetic field has an important impact on the climate, meteorology, and ionosphere on the earth. The successful development of the AIMS telescope means that the direct measurement of the sun's magnetic field has become possible, opening up a new prospect for the study of solar physics.
The development of the AIMS telescope is an innovative project that integrates technological breakthroughs in many fields. Through the application of optical design, focal plane detector and vacuum cooling, the telescope realizes the direct measurement of the solar magnetic field in the mid-infrared band, solves the problems faced by the mid-infrared solar observation, and provides a more accurate data basis for the study of solar physics.
The breakthrough significance of the AIMS telescope lies not only in the direct measurement of the sun's magnetic field, but also in the improvement of China's research capabilities in the field of astronomy. The successful development of this equipment marks China's important achievements in the field of solar physics, and is of great significance to the development of astronomy in China.
In addition, the development of the AIMS telescope also provides new opportunities for scientific research in the mid-infrared band. The mid-infrared band is a relatively unknown field, and through the observation and study of this band, it is expected to reveal many new solar activity phenomena and physical mechanisms, and make more contributions to human understanding of the universe.
In conclusion, the successful development of the AIMS telescope is an important breakthrough in the field of solar physics, which is expected to provide more accurate data for our understanding of the nature and mechanism of the solar magnetic field, and bring new opportunities for the development of astronomy and scientific research in the mid-infrared band in China.