The emission of anomalous X-ray pulsars(AXPs)and soft gamma-ray repeaters(SGRs)is believed to be powered by the dissipation of their strong magnetic fields,which coined the name“magnetar”.By combining timing and ene...The emission of anomalous X-ray pulsars(AXPs)and soft gamma-ray repeaters(SGRs)is believed to be powered by the dissipation of their strong magnetic fields,which coined the name“magnetar”.By combining timing and energy observational results,the magnetar model can be easily appreciated.From a timing perspective,the magnetic field strengths of AXPs and SGRs,which are calculated under the assumption of dipole radiation,are extremely strong.From an energy perspective,the X-ray/soft gamma-ray luminosities of AXPs and SGRs are larger than their rotational energy loss rates(i.e.,L_(x>E_(rot)).It is thus reasonable to assume that the high-energy radiation comes from magnetic energy decay,and the magnetar model has been extensively discussed(or accepted).However,we argue that:(ⅰ)Calculating magnetic fields by assuming that rotational energy loss is dominated by dipole radiation(i.e.,E_(rot)■E_(μ))may be controversial,and we suggest that the energies carried by outflowing particles should also be considered.(ⅱ)The fact that X-ray luminosity is greater than the rotational energy loss rate does not necessarily mean that the emission energy comes from the magnetic field decaying,which requires further observational testing.Furthermore,some observational facts conflict with the“magnetar”model,such as observations of anti-magnetars,high magnetic field pulsars,and radio and X-ray observations of AXPs/SGRs.Therefore,we propose a crusted strange star model as an alternative,which can explain many more observational facts of AXPs/SGRs.展开更多
We derive the gravitational-wave(GW)strain upper limits from resolvable supermassive black-hole binaries using the data from the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope,in the context of the Chinese Puls...We derive the gravitational-wave(GW)strain upper limits from resolvable supermassive black-hole binaries using the data from the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope,in the context of the Chinese Pulsar Timing Array project.We focus on circular orbits in theμHz GW frequency band between 10^(−7)and 3×10^(−6)Hz.This frequency band is higher than the traditional pulsar timing array band and is less explored.We used the data of the millisecond pulsar PSR J1713+5307 observed between 2019 August and 2021 April.A dense observation campaign was carried out in 2020 September to allow for theμHz band coverage.Our sky-averaged continuous source upper limit at the 95%confidence level at 1μHz is 1.26×10^(−12),while the same limit in the direction of the pulsar is 4.77×10^(−13).展开更多
Observing and timing a group of millisecond pulsars with high rotational stability enables the direct detection of gravitational waves(GWs).The GW signals can be identified from the spatial correlations encoded in the...Observing and timing a group of millisecond pulsars with high rotational stability enables the direct detection of gravitational waves(GWs).The GW signals can be identified from the spatial correlations encoded in the times-of-arrival of widely spaced pulsar-pairs.The Chinese Pulsar Timing Array(CPTA)is a collaboration aiming at the direct GW detection with observations carried out using Chinese radio telescopes.This short article serves as a“table of contents”for a forthcoming series of papers related to the CPTA Data Release 1(CPTA DR1)which uses observations from the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope.Here,after summarizing the time span and accuracy of CPTA DR1,we report the key results of our statistical inference finding a correlated signal with amplitude logA_(c)=-14.4_(-2.8)^(+1.0)for spectral index in the range ofα∈[-1.8,1.5]assuming a GW background(GWB)induced quadrupolar correlation.The search for the Hellings–Downs(HD)correlation curve is also presented,where some evidence for the HD correlation has been found that a 4.6σstatistical significance is achieved using the discrete frequency method around the frequency of 14 n Hz.We expect that the future International Pulsar Timing Array data analysis and the next CPTA data release will be more sensitive to the n Hz GWB,which could verify the current results.展开更多
Fast radio bursts(FRBs)are short pulses observed in radio frequencies usually originating from cosmological distances.The discovery of FRB 200428 and its X-ray counterpart from the Galactic magnetar SGR J1935+2154sugg...Fast radio bursts(FRBs)are short pulses observed in radio frequencies usually originating from cosmological distances.The discovery of FRB 200428 and its X-ray counterpart from the Galactic magnetar SGR J1935+2154suggests that at least some FRBs can be generated by magnetars.However,the majority of X-ray bursts from magnetars are not associated with radio emission.The fact that only in rare cases can an FRB be generated raises the question regarding the special triggering mechanism of FRBs.Here we report long time spin evolution of SGR J1935+2154 until the end of 2022.According to v and v,the spin evolution of SGR J1935+2154 could be divided into two stages.The first stage evolves relatively steady evolution until 2020 April 27.After the burst activity in2020,the spin of SGR J1935+2154 shows strong variations,especially for v.After the burst activity in 2022October,a new spin-down glitch with△v/v=(-7.2±0.6)×10^(-6)is detected around MJD 59876,which is the second event in SGR J1935+2154.At the end,spin frequency and pulse profile do not show variations around the time of FRB 200428 and radio bursts 221014 and 221021,which supply strong clues to constrain the trigger mechanism of FRBs or radio bursts.展开更多
An observation control system is the foundation to support automatic observations by any radio telescope.Traditional observation control systems are usually coded using a compiled language,which is of higher efficienc...An observation control system is the foundation to support automatic observations by any radio telescope.Traditional observation control systems are usually coded using a compiled language,which is of higher efficiency compared with interpreted languages.Indeed,observation control systems are usually programmed using the C or C++languages.However,the high execution efficiency of C/C++is at the cost of a long development cycle,which is not only time consuming but also requires considerable skills for the developers.The development of computer hardware performance,as well as the optimization of the just-in-time compiler for new interpreted languages such as Python,provides a good balance between execution and development efficiency.In this paper,we introduce the observation control system developed for the Kunming 40-meter radio telescope run by Yunnan Observatories,Chinese Academy of Sciences.The system is developed mainly with the Python language,and we have optimized computationally intensive components with C++.We demonstrate that it is possible to achieve the required functionality and control precision with such a Python-C++programming paradigm.The performance of the control system is also assessed in this paper,demonstrating that satisfactory pointing accuracy and user experience can be attained.展开更多
Fast radio bursts(FRBs)are bright,millisecond-duration radio emissions originating from cosmological distances.In this study,we report multi-year polarization measurements of four repeating FRBs initially discovered b...Fast radio bursts(FRBs)are bright,millisecond-duration radio emissions originating from cosmological distances.In this study,we report multi-year polarization measurements of four repeating FRBs initially discovered by the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment(CHIME):FRBs 20190117A,20190208A,20190303A,and 20190417A.We observed the four repeating FRBs with the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope(FAST),detecting a total of 66 bursts.Two bursts from FRB 20190417A exhibit a circular polarization signal-to-noise ratio greater than 7,with the highest circular polarization fraction recorded at 35.7%.While the bursts from FRBs 20190208A and 20190303A are highly linearly polarized,those from FRBs 20190117A and 20190417A show depolarization due to multi-path propagation,with σ_(RM)=2.78±0.05and 5.19±0.09 rad m^(-2),respectively.The linear polarization distributions among five repeating FRBs—FRBs 20190208A,20190303A,20201124A,20220912A,and 20240114A—are nearly identical but show distinct differences from those of nonrepeating FRBs.FRBs 20190117A,20190303A,and 20190417A exhibit substantial rotation measure(RM)variations between bursts,joining other repeating FRBs in this behavior.Combining these findings with published results,64% of repeating FRBs show RM variations greater than 50 rad m^(-2),and 21% exhibit RM reversals.A significant proportion of repeating FRBs reside in a dynamic magneto-ionic environment.The structure function of RM variations shows a power-law index of γ~(0-0.8),corresponding to a shallow power spectrum α=-(γ+2)~-(2.0-2.8)of turbulence,if the RM variations are attributed to turbulence.This suggests that the variations are dominated by small-scale RM density fluctuations.We perform K-S tests to compare the RMs of repeating and non-repeating FRBs,which reveal a marginal dichotomy in the distribution of their RMs.We caution that the observed dichotomy may be due to the small sample size and selection biases.展开更多
This study presents a general outline of the Qitai radio telescope(QTT)project.Qitai,the site of the telescope,is a county of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China,located in the east Tianshan Mountains at an elev...This study presents a general outline of the Qitai radio telescope(QTT)project.Qitai,the site of the telescope,is a county of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China,located in the east Tianshan Mountains at an elevation of about 1800 m.The QTT is a fully steerable,Gregorian-type telescope with a standard parabolic main reflector of 110 m diameter.The QTT has adopted an umbrella support,homology-symmetric lightweight design.The main reflector is active so that the deformation caused by gravity can be corrected.The structural design aims to ultimately allow high-sensitivity observations from 150 MHz up to115 GHz.To satisfy the requirements for early scientific goals,the QTTwill be equipped with ultra-wideband receivers and large field-of-view multi-beam receivers.A multi-function signal-processing system based on RFSo C and GPU processor chips will be developed.These will enable the QTT to operate in pulsar,spectral line,continuum and Very Long Baseline Interferometer(VLBI)observing modes.Electromagnetic compatibility(EMC)and radio frequency interference(RFI)control techniques are adopted throughout the system design.The QTT will form a world-class observational platform for the detection of lowfrequency(nano Hertz)gravitational waves through pulsar timing array(PTA)techniques,pulsar surveys,the discovery of binary black-hole systems,and exploring dark matter and the origin of life in the universe.The QTT will also play an important role in improving the Chinese and international VLBI networks,allowing high-sensitivity and high-resolution observations of the nuclei of distant galaxies and gravitational lensing systems.Deep astrometric observations will also contribute to improving the accuracy of the celestial reference frame.Potentially,the QTT will be able to support future space activities such as planetary exploration in the solar system and to contribute to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.展开更多
It has been a half-decade since the first direct detection of gravitational waves, which signifies the coming of the era of the gravitational-wave astronomy and gravitational-wave cosmology. The increasing number of t...It has been a half-decade since the first direct detection of gravitational waves, which signifies the coming of the era of the gravitational-wave astronomy and gravitational-wave cosmology. The increasing number of the detected gravitational-wave events has revealed the promising capability of constraining various aspects of cosmology, astronomy, and gravity. Due to the limited space in this review article, we will briefly summarize the recent progress over the past five years, but with a special focus on some of our own work for the Key Project "Physics associated with the gravitational waves" supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China. In particular,(1) we have presented the mechanism of the gravitational-wave production during some physical processes of the early Universe, such as inflation, preheating and phase transition, and the cosmological implications of gravitational-wave measurements;(2) we have put constraints on the neutron star maximum mass according to GW170817 observations;(3) we have developed a numerical relativity algorithm based on the finite element method and a waveform model for the binary black hole coalescence along an eccentric orbit.展开更多
Fast radio bursts(FRBs) are millisecond-duration signals that are highly dispersed at distant galaxies. However, the physical origin of FRBs is still unknown. Coherent curvature emission by bunches, e.g., powered by s...Fast radio bursts(FRBs) are millisecond-duration signals that are highly dispersed at distant galaxies. However, the physical origin of FRBs is still unknown. Coherent curvature emission by bunches, e.g., powered by starquakes, has already been proposed for repeating FRBs. It has the nature of understanding narrowband radiation exhibiting time-frequency drifting. Recently, a highly active FRB source, i.e., FRB 20201124A, was reported to enter a newly active episode and emit at least some highly circular-polarized bursts. In this study, we revisit the polarized FRB emission, particularly investigating the production mechanisms of a highly circular polarization(CP) by deriving the intrinsic mechanism and propagative effect. The intrinsic mechanisms of invoking charged bunches are approached with radiative coherence. Consequently, a highly CP could naturally be explained by the coherent summation of outcome waves, generated or scattered by bunches, with different phases and electric vectors. Different kinds of evolutionary trajectories are found on the Poincaré sphere for the bunch-coherent polarization, and this behavior could be tested through future observations. Cyclotron resonance can result in the absorption of R-mode photons at a low altitude region of the magnetosphere, and an FRB should then be emitted from a high-altitude region if the waves have strong linear polarization. Circularly polarized components could be produced from Faraday conversion exhibiting a λ-oscillation, but the average CP fraction depends only on the income wave, indicating a possibility of a highly circular-polarized income wave. The analysis could be welcome if extremely high(e.g., almost 100%) CP from repeating FRBs is detected in the future. Finally, the production of a bulk of energetic bunches in the pulsar-like magnetosphere is discussed, which is relevant to the nature of the FRB central engine.展开更多
In this paper,we investigate the statistical signal-processing algorithm to measure the instant local clock jump from the timing data of multiple pulsars.Our algorithm is based on the framework of Bayesian statistics....In this paper,we investigate the statistical signal-processing algorithm to measure the instant local clock jump from the timing data of multiple pulsars.Our algorithm is based on the framework of Bayesian statistics.In order to make the Bayesian algorithm applicable with limited computational resources,we dedicated our efforts to the analytic marginalization of irrelevant parameters.We found that the widely used parameter for pulsar timing systematics,the"Efac"parameter,can be analytically marginalized.This reduces the Gaussian likelihood to a function very similar to the Student’s t-distribution.Our iterative method to solve the maximum likelihood estimator is also explained in the paper.Using pulsar timing data from the Yunnan Kunming 40-m radio telescope,we demonstrate the application of the method,where 80-ns level precision for the clock jump can be achieved.Such a precision is comparable to that of current commercial time transferring service using satellites.We expect that the current method could help developing the autonomous pulsar time scale.展开更多
As the rump left behind after an extremely gravity-induced supernova of an evolved massive star,a pulsar is made of cool CBM(i.e.,compressed baryonic matter at a low temperature).Pulsars are not only testbeds for fund...As the rump left behind after an extremely gravity-induced supernova of an evolved massive star,a pulsar is made of cool CBM(i.e.,compressed baryonic matter at a low temperature).Pulsars are not only testbeds for fundamental interactions(e.g.,the nature of gravity[1]and of the strong force at low energies[2]),but also essential tools for detecting nanoHz gravitational waves[3].The pulsar science,whatever,usually depends on the measurement of pulsar radiation,e.g.,pulsar monitoring and timing.Additionally,searching new pulsars for further investigation is also an important focus of this research field.Pulsars have a very good showing,and have never stopped presenting surprises since the first discovery in 1967,because of the continuing development of advanced facilities.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(12273008,12025303,12403046)the National SKA Program of China(2022SKA0130104)+3 种基金the Natural Science and Technology Foundation of Guizhou Province(QiankehejichuMS[2025]266,[2023]024,ZK[2022]304)the Foundation of Guizhou Provincial Education Department(KY(2020)003)the Academic New Seedling Fund Project of Guizhou Normal University([2022]B18)the Major Science and Technology Program of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region(2022A03013-4).
文摘The emission of anomalous X-ray pulsars(AXPs)and soft gamma-ray repeaters(SGRs)is believed to be powered by the dissipation of their strong magnetic fields,which coined the name“magnetar”.By combining timing and energy observational results,the magnetar model can be easily appreciated.From a timing perspective,the magnetic field strengths of AXPs and SGRs,which are calculated under the assumption of dipole radiation,are extremely strong.From an energy perspective,the X-ray/soft gamma-ray luminosities of AXPs and SGRs are larger than their rotational energy loss rates(i.e.,L_(x>E_(rot)).It is thus reasonable to assume that the high-energy radiation comes from magnetic energy decay,and the magnetar model has been extensively discussed(or accepted).However,we argue that:(ⅰ)Calculating magnetic fields by assuming that rotational energy loss is dominated by dipole radiation(i.e.,E_(rot)■E_(μ))may be controversial,and we suggest that the energies carried by outflowing particles should also be considered.(ⅱ)The fact that X-ray luminosity is greater than the rotational energy loss rate does not necessarily mean that the emission energy comes from the magnetic field decaying,which requires further observational testing.Furthermore,some observational facts conflict with the“magnetar”model,such as observations of anti-magnetars,high magnetic field pulsars,and radio and X-ray observations of AXPs/SGRs.Therefore,we propose a crusted strange star model as an alternative,which can explain many more observational facts of AXPs/SGRs.
基金supported by the FAST Key projectsupported by the National SKA Program of China (2020SKA0120100)+4 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC, Grant Nos. 12041303 and 12250410246)the CAS-MPG LEGACY projectfunding from the Max-Planck Partner Groupsupport from the XPLORER PRIZE and 20 yr long-term support from Dr. Guojun Qiaosupported by Major Science and Technology Program of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region No. 2022A03013-4
文摘We derive the gravitational-wave(GW)strain upper limits from resolvable supermassive black-hole binaries using the data from the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope,in the context of the Chinese Pulsar Timing Array project.We focus on circular orbits in theμHz GW frequency band between 10^(−7)and 3×10^(−6)Hz.This frequency band is higher than the traditional pulsar timing array band and is less explored.We used the data of the millisecond pulsar PSR J1713+5307 observed between 2019 August and 2021 April.A dense observation campaign was carried out in 2020 September to allow for theμHz band coverage.Our sky-averaged continuous source upper limit at the 95%confidence level at 1μHz is 1.26×10^(−12),while the same limit in the direction of the pulsar is 4.77×10^(−13).
基金supported by the National SKA Program of China(2020SKA0120100)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.12041303 and 12250410246)+1 种基金the CAS-MPG LEGACY projectfunding from the Max-Planck Partner Group。
文摘Observing and timing a group of millisecond pulsars with high rotational stability enables the direct detection of gravitational waves(GWs).The GW signals can be identified from the spatial correlations encoded in the times-of-arrival of widely spaced pulsar-pairs.The Chinese Pulsar Timing Array(CPTA)is a collaboration aiming at the direct GW detection with observations carried out using Chinese radio telescopes.This short article serves as a“table of contents”for a forthcoming series of papers related to the CPTA Data Release 1(CPTA DR1)which uses observations from the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope.Here,after summarizing the time span and accuracy of CPTA DR1,we report the key results of our statistical inference finding a correlated signal with amplitude logA_(c)=-14.4_(-2.8)^(+1.0)for spectral index in the range ofα∈[-1.8,1.5]assuming a GW background(GWB)induced quadrupolar correlation.The search for the Hellings–Downs(HD)correlation curve is also presented,where some evidence for the HD correlation has been found that a 4.6σstatistical significance is achieved using the discrete frequency method around the frequency of 14 n Hz.We expect that the future International Pulsar Timing Array data analysis and the next CPTA data release will be more sensitive to the n Hz GWB,which could verify the current results.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(2021YFA0718500)from the Minister of Science and Technology of China(MOST)supports from the National Natural Science Foundation of China under grants 12173103,12003028,U2038101,U2038102 and 11733009+2 种基金supported by International Partnership Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(grant No.113111KYSB20190020)the National SKA Program of China(2022SKA0130100)the China Manned Spaced Project(CMS-CSST-2021-B11)。
文摘Fast radio bursts(FRBs)are short pulses observed in radio frequencies usually originating from cosmological distances.The discovery of FRB 200428 and its X-ray counterpart from the Galactic magnetar SGR J1935+2154suggests that at least some FRBs can be generated by magnetars.However,the majority of X-ray bursts from magnetars are not associated with radio emission.The fact that only in rare cases can an FRB be generated raises the question regarding the special triggering mechanism of FRBs.Here we report long time spin evolution of SGR J1935+2154 until the end of 2022.According to v and v,the spin evolution of SGR J1935+2154 could be divided into two stages.The first stage evolves relatively steady evolution until 2020 April 27.After the burst activity in2020,the spin of SGR J1935+2154 shows strong variations,especially for v.After the burst activity in 2022October,a new spin-down glitch with△v/v=(-7.2±0.6)×10^(-6)is detected around MJD 59876,which is the second event in SGR J1935+2154.At the end,spin frequency and pulse profile do not show variations around the time of FRB 200428 and radio bursts 221014 and 221021,which supply strong clues to constrain the trigger mechanism of FRBs or radio bursts.
基金funded by the National SKA Program of China(2020SKA0120100)the Special Project of Foreign Science and Technology Cooperation of Yunnan Provincial Science and Technology Department(202003AD150010)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(12073076,12173087,12041303 and 12063003),the Foundation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Light of West China Program),the CAS-MPG LEGACY Project and the Max-Planck Partner Group.
文摘An observation control system is the foundation to support automatic observations by any radio telescope.Traditional observation control systems are usually coded using a compiled language,which is of higher efficiency compared with interpreted languages.Indeed,observation control systems are usually programmed using the C or C++languages.However,the high execution efficiency of C/C++is at the cost of a long development cycle,which is not only time consuming but also requires considerable skills for the developers.The development of computer hardware performance,as well as the optimization of the just-in-time compiler for new interpreted languages such as Python,provides a good balance between execution and development efficiency.In this paper,we introduce the observation control system developed for the Kunming 40-meter radio telescope run by Yunnan Observatories,Chinese Academy of Sciences.The system is developed mainly with the Python language,and we have optimized computationally intensive components with C++.We demonstrate that it is possible to achieve the required functionality and control precision with such a Python-C++programming paradigm.The performance of the control system is also assessed in this paper,demonstrating that satisfactory pointing accuracy and user experience can be attained.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.12588202,12203045,12233002,12403100,12103069,and 12403042)the Leading Innovation and Entrepreneurship Team of Zhejiang Province of China(Grant No.2023R01008)+3 种基金the Key R&D Program of Zhejiang(Grant No.2024SSYS0012)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.12473047)the National SKA Program of China(Grant No.2022SKA0130100)the support from the Xinjiang Tianchi Program。
文摘Fast radio bursts(FRBs)are bright,millisecond-duration radio emissions originating from cosmological distances.In this study,we report multi-year polarization measurements of four repeating FRBs initially discovered by the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment(CHIME):FRBs 20190117A,20190208A,20190303A,and 20190417A.We observed the four repeating FRBs with the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope(FAST),detecting a total of 66 bursts.Two bursts from FRB 20190417A exhibit a circular polarization signal-to-noise ratio greater than 7,with the highest circular polarization fraction recorded at 35.7%.While the bursts from FRBs 20190208A and 20190303A are highly linearly polarized,those from FRBs 20190117A and 20190417A show depolarization due to multi-path propagation,with σ_(RM)=2.78±0.05and 5.19±0.09 rad m^(-2),respectively.The linear polarization distributions among five repeating FRBs—FRBs 20190208A,20190303A,20201124A,20220912A,and 20240114A—are nearly identical but show distinct differences from those of nonrepeating FRBs.FRBs 20190117A,20190303A,and 20190417A exhibit substantial rotation measure(RM)variations between bursts,joining other repeating FRBs in this behavior.Combining these findings with published results,64% of repeating FRBs show RM variations greater than 50 rad m^(-2),and 21% exhibit RM reversals.A significant proportion of repeating FRBs reside in a dynamic magneto-ionic environment.The structure function of RM variations shows a power-law index of γ~(0-0.8),corresponding to a shallow power spectrum α=-(γ+2)~-(2.0-2.8)of turbulence,if the RM variations are attributed to turbulence.This suggests that the variations are dominated by small-scale RM density fluctuations.We perform K-S tests to compare the RMs of repeating and non-repeating FRBs,which reveal a marginal dichotomy in the distribution of their RMs.We caution that the observed dichotomy may be due to the small sample size and selection biases.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant Nos.2021YFC2203501,2021YFC2203502,2021YFC2203503,and 2021YFC2203600)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.12173077,11873082,11803080,and 12003062)+3 种基金the Scientific Instrument Developing Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.PTYQ2022YZZD01)the Operation,Maintenance and Upgrading Fund for Astronomical Telescopes and Facility Instrumentsbudgeted from the Ministry of Finance of China and Administrated by the Chinese Academy of Sciencesthe Chinese Academy of Sciences“Light of West China”Program(Grant No.2021-XBQNXZ-030)。
文摘This study presents a general outline of the Qitai radio telescope(QTT)project.Qitai,the site of the telescope,is a county of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China,located in the east Tianshan Mountains at an elevation of about 1800 m.The QTT is a fully steerable,Gregorian-type telescope with a standard parabolic main reflector of 110 m diameter.The QTT has adopted an umbrella support,homology-symmetric lightweight design.The main reflector is active so that the deformation caused by gravity can be corrected.The structural design aims to ultimately allow high-sensitivity observations from 150 MHz up to115 GHz.To satisfy the requirements for early scientific goals,the QTTwill be equipped with ultra-wideband receivers and large field-of-view multi-beam receivers.A multi-function signal-processing system based on RFSo C and GPU processor chips will be developed.These will enable the QTT to operate in pulsar,spectral line,continuum and Very Long Baseline Interferometer(VLBI)observing modes.Electromagnetic compatibility(EMC)and radio frequency interference(RFI)control techniques are adopted throughout the system design.The QTT will form a world-class observational platform for the detection of lowfrequency(nano Hertz)gravitational waves through pulsar timing array(PTA)techniques,pulsar surveys,the discovery of binary black-hole systems,and exploring dark matter and the origin of life in the universe.The QTT will also play an important role in improving the Chinese and international VLBI networks,allowing high-sensitivity and high-resolution observations of the nuclei of distant galaxies and gravitational lensing systems.Deep astrometric observations will also contribute to improving the accuracy of the celestial reference frame.Potentially,the QTT will be able to support future space activities such as planetary exploration in the solar system and to contribute to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos.11690021,11690022,11690023,and 11690024)。
文摘It has been a half-decade since the first direct detection of gravitational waves, which signifies the coming of the era of the gravitational-wave astronomy and gravitational-wave cosmology. The increasing number of the detected gravitational-wave events has revealed the promising capability of constraining various aspects of cosmology, astronomy, and gravity. Due to the limited space in this review article, we will briefly summarize the recent progress over the past five years, but with a special focus on some of our own work for the Key Project "Physics associated with the gravitational waves" supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China. In particular,(1) we have presented the mechanism of the gravitational-wave production during some physical processes of the early Universe, such as inflation, preheating and phase transition, and the cosmological implications of gravitational-wave measurements;(2) we have put constraints on the neutron star maximum mass according to GW170817 observations;(3) we have developed a numerical relativity algorithm based on the finite element method and a waveform model for the binary black hole coalescence along an eccentric orbit.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(Grant No.2017YFA0402602)National SKA Program of China(Grant No.2020SKA0120100)+1 种基金Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.XDB23010200)supported by a Boya Fellowship and the fellowship of China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(Grant No.2021M700247)。
文摘Fast radio bursts(FRBs) are millisecond-duration signals that are highly dispersed at distant galaxies. However, the physical origin of FRBs is still unknown. Coherent curvature emission by bunches, e.g., powered by starquakes, has already been proposed for repeating FRBs. It has the nature of understanding narrowband radiation exhibiting time-frequency drifting. Recently, a highly active FRB source, i.e., FRB 20201124A, was reported to enter a newly active episode and emit at least some highly circular-polarized bursts. In this study, we revisit the polarized FRB emission, particularly investigating the production mechanisms of a highly circular polarization(CP) by deriving the intrinsic mechanism and propagative effect. The intrinsic mechanisms of invoking charged bunches are approached with radiative coherence. Consequently, a highly CP could naturally be explained by the coherent summation of outcome waves, generated or scattered by bunches, with different phases and electric vectors. Different kinds of evolutionary trajectories are found on the Poincaré sphere for the bunch-coherent polarization, and this behavior could be tested through future observations. Cyclotron resonance can result in the absorption of R-mode photons at a low altitude region of the magnetosphere, and an FRB should then be emitted from a high-altitude region if the waves have strong linear polarization. Circularly polarized components could be produced from Faraday conversion exhibiting a λ-oscillation, but the average CP fraction depends only on the income wave, indicating a possibility of a highly circular-polarized income wave. The analysis could be welcome if extremely high(e.g., almost 100%) CP from repeating FRBs is detected in the future. Finally, the production of a bulk of energetic bunches in the pulsar-like magnetosphere is discussed, which is relevant to the nature of the FRB central engine.
基金supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.XDB23010200)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.U15311243,and 11690024)+1 种基金the National Basic Research Program of China(Grant No.2015CB857101)the funding from Tian Shan Chuang Xin Tuan Dui and the Max-Planck Partner Group
文摘In this paper,we investigate the statistical signal-processing algorithm to measure the instant local clock jump from the timing data of multiple pulsars.Our algorithm is based on the framework of Bayesian statistics.In order to make the Bayesian algorithm applicable with limited computational resources,we dedicated our efforts to the analytic marginalization of irrelevant parameters.We found that the widely used parameter for pulsar timing systematics,the"Efac"parameter,can be analytically marginalized.This reduces the Gaussian likelihood to a function very similar to the Student’s t-distribution.Our iterative method to solve the maximum likelihood estimator is also explained in the paper.Using pulsar timing data from the Yunnan Kunming 40-m radio telescope,we demonstrate the application of the method,where 80-ns level precision for the clock jump can be achieved.Such a precision is comparable to that of current commercial time transferring service using satellites.We expect that the current method could help developing the autonomous pulsar time scale.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(Grant Nos.2018YFA0404703,and 2017YFA0402602)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11673002,and U1531243)+3 种基金the Strategic Priority Research Program of CAS(Grant No.XDB23010200)the Open Project Program of the Key Laboratory of FAST,NAOC,Chinese Academy of SciencesFAST is a Chinese national mega-science facility,built and operated by the National Astronomical Observatories,Chinese Academy of SciencesThe FAST FELLOWSHIP is supported by Special Funding for Advanced Users,budgeted and administrated by Center for Astronomical Mega-Science,Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAMS)
文摘As the rump left behind after an extremely gravity-induced supernova of an evolved massive star,a pulsar is made of cool CBM(i.e.,compressed baryonic matter at a low temperature).Pulsars are not only testbeds for fundamental interactions(e.g.,the nature of gravity[1]and of the strong force at low energies[2]),but also essential tools for detecting nanoHz gravitational waves[3].The pulsar science,whatever,usually depends on the measurement of pulsar radiation,e.g.,pulsar monitoring and timing.Additionally,searching new pulsars for further investigation is also an important focus of this research field.Pulsars have a very good showing,and have never stopped presenting surprises since the first discovery in 1967,because of the continuing development of advanced facilities.
