SKA建设准备阶段关键问题研究

Preparing for the SKA: The Chinese perspectives

平方公里阵(Square Kilometre Array,SKA)是即将建造的世界最大综合孔径射电望远镜.自1993年SKA国际合作启动以来,包括中国在内20个国家逾100家机构科技人员参与其中.SKA现处于建设准备阶段,中国参与了10个国际工作包联盟中的6个.开展反射面天线、孔径阵列技术、宽带单波束馈源、相位阵馈源、信号与数据传输、科学数据处理等SKA关键技术设计及试验.2015年发布的新版《国际SKA科学白皮书》中,中国学者总计参与了其中20%的章节.SKA基线重订后,20余位国内天文学家参与了13个科学目标工作组的11个.确立了我国SKA科学目标"2+1"战略,并在宇宙再电离探测及SKA核心数据处理方法等方面取得重要进展.2015年6月,中国参与SKA第一阶段建设的建议通过了中国科学院学部咨询评议.SKA被列入十三五规划.持续探索有限科学目标、致力于高精度轻型天线设计与工艺等技术研究,建造自己的望远镜阵列,打造SKA区域数据中心,将提升我国天文和相关技术水平,实现国际大科学工程中的"中国创造".本文简述了SKA历史脉络,综述了SKA建设准备阶段国内外主要进展,探讨了中国SKA未来计划.通过对SKA关键科学技术问题进行研究,自主研制了中国SKA验证天线DVA-C系统,成功观测到银河系中性氢和若干脉冲星.

Since 1993, astronomers and engineers from more than 100 institutions in 20 different countries including China, have engaged in the international mega-science project—the Square Kilometre Array （SKA）, which will be the world’s largest synthesis radio telescope. The SKA is currently in its pre-construction phase, and China has been playing a very active role. China has participated in 6 of the total of 10 SKA work packages, and carried out RD in dish array, aperture array, wideband single pixel feeds, phased array feeds, signal and data transport, and science data processor. In the new SKA science book published in 2015, Chinese scholars have made their contributions in 20% of all the chapter proposals. After the SKA1 re-baselining, 20 Chinese astronomers participated in 11 out of the 13 SKA scientific working groups. The ＂2＋1 Strategy＂ for China’s SKA science priorities has been established, and some important progress has been made in cosmological re-ionization detection as well as in SKA data processing. In June 2015, the Chinese participation in SKA1 passed through the Chinese Academy of Sciences Panel Review. The Chinese Community is now deeply involved into the preparation of the SKA, with activities such as SKA science cases study, researching on high-precision light-weight antennas, developing the Chinese prototype array, as well as some efforts in building an SKA regional data center in China. This article gives a brief historical review of the SKA, overviews some international and domestic progress of the project during its preconstruction phase, and also discusses some future plans of the Chinese SKA.