FAST Telescope

Source-This post on FAST Telescope is based on the article “Chinese astronomers find radio pulsar in a supernova remnant” published in “Physics.org” on 9th February 2024.

Why in the News?

Recently, astronomers from Nanjing University and other institutions discovered a radio pulsar in the supernova remnant CTB 87 using the FAST telescope.

What is Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST)?

1. Location– It is located in a karst depression in Guizhou, China.

2. Size– It is the world’s biggest single-dish radio telescope, with a receiving area as large as 30 football fields.

3. Objective:
a. Detect neutral hydrogen at the universe’s edge to reconstruct images of the early universe.
b. Detect pulsars, set up a pulsar timing array, and engage in pulsar navigation.
c. Detecting gravitational waves in the future.
d. Leading the International Very-Long-Baseline Interferometry Network to study celestial bodies’ hyperfine structures.
e. Searching for signals of interstellar communication.

What are Pulsars?

1. Pulsars are highly magnetized rotating neutron stars that emit beams of electromagnetic radiation out of their magnetic poles.

2. These beams are observed as regular pulses of radiation, hence named as “pulsars.”

3. Pulsars are formed from the remnants of massive stars that have undergone supernova explosions.

What are Supernova Remnants?

1. Supernova remnants are the bright, expanding clouds of gas and dust formed when massive stars explode.

2. As these stars end their lives, they eject their outer layers into space, while their dense core remains as a neutron star or black hole.

3. Supernova remnants play a crucial role in the life cycle of galaxies. They enrich interstellar space with heavy elements and trigger the formation of new stars.

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