National Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) announced the commissioning of the world's first telescope, designed to measure the Sun's magnetic field in the mid-infrared range. After the successful completion of the final stage of admission tests, the AIMS complex (Accurate Infrared Magnetic Field Measurements of the Sun) officially started scientific work.
The AIMS project was an important breakthrough in the field of solar observations, closing a multi-year gap in infrared measurements of magnetic fields. It also provides a new benchmark for future large astronomical observatories at high altitude sites.
The Sun's magnetic field is a key factor, which controls powerful solar phenomena — flares and coronal mass ejections. Studying and predicting this activity is critical to protecting terrestrial communications systems, navigation and energy networks. Excessive solar activity can directly affect the operation of satellite channels, electronic systems and power networks, while modern methods of observation, based mainly on visible light, have limited accuracy. This has long held back the development of space weather forecasting.
The development of the AIMS telescope began in 2015 year. The object is located in the city of Lenkhu (Qinghai Province) at a height of about 4000 meters above sea level. Alpine, the dry and remote region provides almost ideal conditions for observing the Sun in the infrared range.
AIMS technology moves the measurement of the solar magnetic field from indirect methods to direct detection, which significantly increases the accuracy of the results. The system is able to directly measure magnetic fields with an accuracy of more than 10 gaussians. All components — from the infrared spectrograph to the vacuum-cryogenic system — were developed exclusively by Chinese specialists.
During test observations, the telescope recorded infrared data of solar flares in several wavelength ranges, which provided new information about the transfer of matter and energy during solar eruptions, and also about the processes of accumulation and release of magnetic energy.
With the beginning of full-scale scientific exploitation is expected, that AIMS will significantly enhance China's solar physics research capabilities, monitoring space weather and forecasting the magnetic activity of the Sun.
Source: https://www.spacedaily.com