The Miyun 50m radio telescope and possible upgrading project
Jin Chengjin & Zhang JuyongMiyun Radio Astronomy Group, NAOC
2003, 11, 03
Contents:
Brief history of the Miyun 50m project
The current status
The possible upgrading plan
Brief history:
• The Miyun Station was founded in 1960s.
• The MSRT and the Miyun 15m telescope
Scientific motives for building a new 50m radio telescope:
• Long-time monitoring of pulsars
• Gravitational wave detection
• IPS observations
• A VLBI unit
The conceptual design in the beginning (~2001,11):
• L-band telescope
• Metal mesh
• Light weight
Some improvement afterwards (~2002,3):
Chinese Lunar project
• S/X band
• Metal plate + mesh
• Much stronger
The status:
• The contract was signed in Oct, 2002.• The technical design has been finished. • In parallel, we have organized several techni
cal reviews for the antenna design.• The prospection was completed.• The antenna is schedueled to be completed i
n the first half of 2005.
The technical review meetings:
• Reviewed by domestic experts (2002, 4)• Reviewed by experts from Germany, the
UK and Australia (2002, 6)• Reviewed by structure engineer from
NRAO (2003,2)
Constructive comments & suggestions
The first pulsar observation was performed with this 15-m telescope.
This telescope was built in 1992.
The 15-m Radio Telescope
The prospecting apparatus(2003, 7):
50m Telescope Design Specifications:
Dish diameter : 50 m
Surface : metal plate + metal mesh
Mounting : Altitude-Azimuth
RMS surface accuracy : 1.0mm (inner 30m) 3mm (outer part)Short wavelength limit : 2.0cm(15 GHz) (inner 30m)
Pointing accuracy : 19 arcsec
Slew rates (elevation) : 0.5 degree per second
Optics : Prime focus f/D = 0.35
Slew rates (azimuth) : 1.0 degree per second
Metal plate : inner 30m Wire mesh : outer part
Possible upgrading plan:
• The reflecting surface
• The pointing accuracy
• The optics
Goal: up to 43GHz
The reflecting surface• Active surface
The pointing accuracy:
• Pointing model & A new servo system
The optics:
• Secondary focus
• Enough space and weight load
The upgrading plan:
• A doctor student is working on this project.