科學(xué)家發(fā)明世界首個龍蝦X射線望遠(yuǎn)鏡

科學(xué)家發(fā)明世界首個龍蝦X射線望遠(yuǎn)鏡

Space scientists at the University of Leicester have delivered a completely new type of super-lightweight X-ray telescope mirror to study the greatest explosions in the Universe since the Big Bang.

萊斯特大學(xué)的空間科學(xué)家，近期開發(fā)出了一種全新的超輕型X射線望遠(yuǎn)鏡鏡面，以研究宇宙大爆炸以來最壯觀的景象。

A team of academics, researchers and engineers have designed, built, tested and now delivered a bespoke mirror for the MXT instrument, to be carried on board the Chinese-French satellite observatory SVOM (Space-based multi-band astronomical Variable Objects Monitor).This work was carried out under contract from the French space agency, CNES.

一個由學(xué)者、研究人員和工程師組成的團(tuán)隊已經(jīng)為MXT儀器設(shè)計、建造、測試并交付了一個定制的反射鏡，該反射鏡將被攜帶在中法衛(wèi)星觀測臺SVOM(天基多波段天文可變目標(biāo)監(jiān)測)上。這項工作是在法國航天局CNES的合同下進(jìn)行的。

As X-ray telescopes are used to study the most energetic forms of matter in the universe, they must be launched into orbit to avoid the obscuring effects of the Earth’s atmosphere. Traditional X-ray mirrors are very heavy and so are very expensive to carry into space.

由于X射線望遠(yuǎn)鏡被用來研究宇宙中能量最高的物質(zhì)形式，它們必須被發(fā)射到軌道上，以避免地球大氣層的遮蔽效應(yīng)。傳統(tǒng)的X射線鏡很重，所以攜帶到太空的費(fèi)用非常昂貴。

Credit: University of Leicester

This new design allows telescopes to be much lighter than those currently in use, and it also allows vastly wider pictures of the sky to be captured through use of a ‘lobster’ lens, so-called because the design is closely based on the eyes of lobsters.

這種新設(shè)計，使得望遠(yuǎn)鏡比目前使用的望遠(yuǎn)鏡要輕得多，而且它還可以通過“龍蝦”鏡頭捕捉到寬得多的太空圖像，之所以這么說，是因為這種設(shè)計是根據(jù)龍蝦(lobster)的眼睛設(shè)計的。

They focus visible light, not using a lens as mammals do, but by using curved structures of square pores which have reflective interior surfaces. This design, in which the light rays bounce off the reflecting inner pore surfaces at very small angles, can provide a field of view thousands of times larger than a conventional X-ray telescope.

它們聚焦可見光，不像哺乳動物那樣使用透鏡，而是使用具有反射內(nèi)部表面的方形孔的彎曲結(jié)構(gòu)。在這種設(shè)計中，光線以非常小的角度從反射的內(nèi)孔表面反射，可以提供比傳統(tǒng)X射線望遠(yuǎn)鏡大數(shù)千倍的視野。

“This new type of X-ray telescope is in great demand because of their unique light weight and enormous field of view capabilities; they are being studied intensely in both the USA and Europe for new satellite observatories involving the University.”

“這種新型X射線望遠(yuǎn)鏡因其獨(dú)特的重量輕和巨大的視場能力而需求量很大;美國和歐洲都在密切研究它們，以建立涉及該大學(xué)的新衛(wèi)星天文臺。”領(lǐng)導(dǎo)該項目的萊斯特大學(xué)物理與天文學(xué)院的朱利安·奧斯本(Julian Osborne)教授表示。

The new mirror has been built for the SVOM satellite, due to be launched in 2022. The satellite will study gamma-ray bursts, poorly-understood but highly energetic flashes lasting just a few seconds which signify the creation of a new black hole or a highly magnetised neutron star.

新的鏡子已經(jīng)為SVOM衛(wèi)星建造完成，該衛(wèi)星將于2022年發(fā)射。這顆衛(wèi)星將研究伽馬射線爆發(fā)，這是一種尚不清楚但持續(xù)僅幾秒鐘的高能閃光，意味著一個新的黑洞或高磁化中子星的產(chǎn)生。

Construction of the mirror required high-precision engineering and extensive X-ray testing of the 25 individual 4x4 cm plates that provide the reflecting surfaces. These glass plates, just a millimetre or so thick, made in France by the Photonis company, are mounted on a lightweight frame using a technique designed to withstand the vibrations of the rocket launch.

反射鏡的建造，需要高精度的工程和廣泛的X射線測試25個人4*4厘米板提供的反射表面。這些只有一毫米左右厚的玻璃板，由法國Photonis公司制造，安裝在一個輕量級的框架上，采用了一種可以承受火箭發(fā)射振動的技術(shù)。

The glass plates are made up of a vast number of square pores, which are just four hundredths of a millimetre across. They are aligned to a common focus to give the telescope the best sensitivity to locate new gamma-ray bursts.

玻璃板由大量的方形孔組成，直徑只有0.04毫米。它們排列在一個共同的焦點上，從而使望遠(yuǎn)鏡有最佳的靈敏度來定位新的伽馬射線爆發(fā)。

The new telescope mirror has been vibrated vigorously, simulating the rigours of its rocket launch, heated and cooled to mimic being in orbit, and then its imaging performance has been extensively verified in Germany before final delivery to the French Space Agency in Toulouse this week.

新的望遠(yuǎn)鏡的反射鏡經(jīng)過了劇烈的震動測試，以模擬火箭發(fā)射時的嚴(yán)峻性，同時加熱和冷卻以模擬在軌道上運(yùn)行，它的成像性能在最終交付給圖盧茲的法國航天局之前在德國得到了充分的驗證。