One of the most successful projects in the Russian space industry and astronomy - launched in 2011 orbital radio telescope " Spektr-R ", a key element of Earth-space radio observatory " Radioastron ." Work " Radioastron " provide dozens of foreign observatories and other scientific organizations , including the largest radio telescope near Evpatoria polnopodvizhny . " Russian planet" figured out how the events of recent months have affected his work " Radioastron ."
" Radioastron " is today the only ground- space complex , which operates on the principle of long baseline radio interferometry ( VLBI ) , which is the pioneer director Astro Space Center of Lebedev Physical Institute , Academician Nikolai Kardashev .
This technique allows you to combine multiple remote from each other telescopes into one giant virtual "antenna" ultra-high resolution . The difficulty lies in the fact that for the " assembly" of the interferometer and receiving a clear signal is necessary to know the distance between the antennas and their speed .
The calculation of these parameters is much more complicated in the case if one of the "shoulders" of the interferometer - radio telescope " Spektr-R " - is in space , at a distance comparable to the distance between the Moon and Earth. For this reason, debugging " Radioastron " lasted almost a year , until June 2012 , while experts Astro Space Center is not tested the machine at all wavelengths. However, in recent months have already passed the test in parallel with the start of early scientific program.
Now as ground " arms " of the interferometer used about 30 large radio telescopes , including the Russian network telescopes "Quasar" , North American 100 -meter GBT and 300 -meter " Arecibo " German 100 - meter antenna " Effelsberg ."
Since the summer of 2013 " Radioastron " is actively monitoring the radio wave of the universe within the first year of open science program , which runs from July 2013 to June 2014 , and has already recorded in the active some interesting discoveries. Thus, the researchers conducted observations nearest active galaxy in the constellation Virgo And in search of the " shadow" of the black hole , created a unique atlas of about a hundred quasars with unique information about their compact nuclei , discovered the unusual properties of the interstellar medium , particularly bends and focuses the radiation of pulsars .
On the future of the project and the prospects of its " cousin " - " Millimetron ", scheduled for launch in 2019 , RP questioned the scientific coordinator of the program " Radioastron " Astro Space Center of Lebedev Physical Institute in Yuri Kovalev .
- In the past six months in the world and in Russia there were events that could affect the lives of " Radioastron " : the reform of Sciences and Education of the Federal Agency of Scientific Organizations ( Fano ) , the fiscal crisis in the U.S. and the crisis in Ukraine. As a team , " Radioastron " coped with difficulties -
- In the short term we do not see any negative changes related to the reform of the RAS and the appearance of Fano as costly financing our space projects conducted within the framework of agreements with the Russian Space Agency , in accordance with the approved state space program , rather than from the budgets of the RAS or Fano . However, some shake the end of last year is still on us to say , complicated our lives , but not essential . While much of the RAS has been suspended for a year and no sudden changes are observed .
Yuri Kovalev . Photo : pm-magazine / Livejournal
We proceed to the Ukraine. This is a political issue , not a financial , and the situation is as follows. Evpatoria stopped observations about two months ago . This observatory is 70 -meter radiozerkalo which analogues in the world can be counted on the fingers. I can not say that Evpatoria watched with us more than others , but its contribution was important to us . Falling out of the antenna of the program is undoubtedly a negative impact on the work " Radioastron ."
We have had other similar cases of " off " some telescopes. For example, American telescopes did not work a couple of weeks in the autumn of 2013 in connection with the budget crisis in the U.S. , and a 300-meter " Arecibo " idle for about a month in March 2014 due to the earthquake in Puerto Rico and break one of the suspension cables .
With this kind of political problems we encountered for the first time . Nevertheless, this did not stop the scientific program " Radioastron ." Unfortunately, we do not know when Evpatoria back , though , and we hope for a speedy resolution of this issue .
There is another aspect to this problem. In early April, NASA has suspended cooperation with Russia because of the events in Ukraine. I note that while we had been no change in the interaction with foreign telescopes and organizations in connection with certain political events. We managed to achieve this because we are working within the open scientific applications that can be served as Russian scientists and foreign counterparts. This gives us ample opportunities for scientific cooperation , and for the implementation of the strongest and most interesting scientific experiments , and not drive into the narrow framework of agreements between institutions , agencies and governments. Thanks to competent construction of interaction with users and partners " Radioastron " we were resistant to shocks of recent times.
- About a year ago, you announced the start of open scientific program and talked about its key projects. Have any concrete results and could you personally proud of something in its implementation ,
- First of all I would like to emphasize that we can not talk about some personal pride in the results " Radioastron ," and if we are proud , we pride ourselves collectively. Huge project and technically complex , it involves many components of terrestrial and space-based services and its successes belong and are not empty words , a huge group of scientists and engineers in Russia and abroad.
With regard to the scientific program , we are gradually completing the first year of the program open . Each of the seven key research objectives were realized, although in different amounts, and all of them have achieved positive results. We are pleased that all participants in the program were able to conduct experiments on our unique telescope . The specific results too early to speak - is the specificity of the interferometric method of observation . We started processing and already there are successes that have been reported at a conference in the framework of COSPAR Scientific Assembly in August 2014, where " Radioastron " will be dedicated to one of the workshops .
- Last year you announced the discovery of "lens " in the interstellar medium , which unexpectedly change pulsar radiation and other radiowave . Do you have continued these studies -
- We are actively engaged in this , that we have this week is visiting professor Carl Gwynne of the University of California in Santa Barbara (USA), which is co-director of the pulsar group within the open scientific program " Radioastron ." We conducted additional observations and confirmed that the radiation of pulsars " crumbles " on a set of " needles " because of its interaction with the " lens " of the interstellar plasma clots , on the way to the radio emission of our planet. Now we are trying to figure out why we see this effect from space interferometer " Radioastron " and do not see it interferometers with the Earth's surface .
- Were you able to improve the accuracy of determining the distance to " Spectrum -R" and if so, whether it has affected the quality of the observations ,
- Yes and no . Accuracy of orbital restoration apparatus depends on the season . And it includes not only the distance , as you said, but also the speed , accuracy, knowledge of which is even more important for data processing " Radioastron ." There are five ways to determine these parameters , but in the summer months, not all of them because of the restrictions applicable apparatus. Because the accuracy of the summer falls . Now we enter the " low season ", which is likely to last until September, which will undoubtedly affect the accuracy of the orbital parameters of recovery " Radioastron ." We would like to solve this problem with additional sessions of laser ranging .
While I can not say whether this situation will change for the better. This question is the responsibility of the Lavochkin and the Institute of Applied Mathematics . Outlook is always , however, as they can be used - is another question . Overall, the situation has improved, can not complain ; around 90% of the reduced accuracy orbit experiments satisfactory.
Project " Millimetron ." Source : technosci.net
- Tell us about another project ASC FIAN - " Millimetron ." How's the build system, whether there is a delay or any other problems -
- I've been watching this process mainly from the side. Assembling " Millimetron " has not yet begun. A team of engineers working on a project to create a layout , developing various components of the system . Scientists discuss the list of the most important scientific objectives of the project . You do not forget that Russia is still run two other machine series "Spectrum" before " Millimetron ": " Spektr-RG " and " Spectrum- UV" . We will have a lot of work will have to take a lot of fundamental decisions . For example, our challenge is deeply cool 10 - meter mirror " Millimetron " , which will establish new contacts with foreign partners.
- Speaking of " Millimetron " and the future of Russian radio astronomy, how likely completion of the radio telescope at Suffa plateau in Uzbekistan , about the possibility that said Academician Kardashev in March 2014 , and whether its inclusion in the " Millimetron " as ground "shoulder" -
- Yes, indeed, have such plans . On Suffa plateau in Uzbekistan back in the 1980s laid the observatory, where plans to build a telescope with a 70 - meter mirror with an active surface . Ability to mirror "on the fly " to compensate for deformation of the surface allows for observation with high efficiency at short (millimeter ) airwaves , which significantly expands the applicability of scientific telescope. For example, studies on short radio waves allow us to look into the very depths of space objects. Similar telescopes today have already been built in the U.S., China and Italy.
As far as I know , is now really under active discussion about the completion of the observatory . It seems there is even a relevant instruction of the Russian government to establish an international observatory Suffa plateau . If this happens , the telescope Suffa undoubtedly be used as a ground- shoulder " Millimetron "
- What about the future of news and successes " Radioastron " we expect -
- We have already held a competition for the second year in the open scientific programs and research projects selected for implementation. I can say that the second year will be at least as interesting as the first . We plan to sell about a dozen very interesting scientific problems , allocate more observing time from project to project varies from several hours to several hundred hours .
In addition, in the near future we will announce the establishment of another " absolute" record " Radioastron ." Follow our news .
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