Chapter 412 [Just the problem of funding is not a big problem]

The "mirror of the sky" proposed by Yu Qiu shocked Li Kang and Ning Xingqing, but the harsh demands she made afterwards made everyone present unable to sit still.

It is almost the end of 2010 now, and it is required to complete the construction and realize operation in early 2015, which takes only a little more than four years. This is not an ordinary demanding task, and it is almost an impossible task.

At this moment, the people at Xincheng University are all embarrassed. What they are most worried about now is that if they don't give Yu Qiu the answer he wants, he may turn around and leave.

It is very likely that Xincheng University will miss this big scientific research cake. Isn't that the cooked duck watching it fly away?

Li Kang and others really couldn't figure out why the people from the Natural Science Foundation gave such a short deadline.

The people at Xinda don’t know because they have historical limitations, but Fang Hong, who has traveled through rebirth, knows that the LIGO experiment team next door will detect gravitational waves in 2015.

LIGO has built the device as early as 1999, and has been trying to detect gravitational waves since then, but it has never been detected. During this period, several upgrades have been made. Until the completion of the LIGO device this year, no gravitational waves have been detected.

However, as the person in charge of LIGO applied for another US$400 million in funding from the Science Foundation of the United States and upgraded LIGO, it will successfully detect gravitational waves in 2015.

There are not many substantive achievements in basic scientific research. Fang Hong must spend so much money to obtain these achievements, and LIGO cannot take them away.

If you want to say that detecting gravitational waves first will bring any substantial benefits, there is actually no benefit. It is more of a scientific honor, which proves Einstein's prediction a hundred years ago, but if you really think so, it must be in time. its narrow vision.

With this honor, it first shows that investing so much money is not in vain. Afterwards, more talents can be attracted to join in, and the progress of basic scientific research can be promoted, so that breakthroughs in applied research can be further promoted, and finally commercialized technological achievements can be transformed. .

There is no breakthrough in the bottom-level thing, and it is impossible for the upper-level application to have any new results.

But at this moment, after Li Kang and Ning Xingqing whispered for a while, Principal Li turned to Yu Qiu and said cautiously: "Ms. Yu, if you want to meet your requirements and realize operation in 2015, objectively speaking, It is not impossible in theory or technology, but the required investment may not be enough even with a budget of 5 billion yuan.”

It's still a question of funds, and we have to add more money!

If the funds are sufficient, it will be different. The team size will be expanded several times and the division of labor will be more refined to improve efficiency. At the same time, we have to cover possible failures. For example, if there is a failure during the launch, there must be a spare satellite, right?

But these all mean that the project investment scale has soared. It is said that it is too prodigal to be in a hurry. If it is a comprehensive assessment to find the most reasonable arrangement based on the actual situation, such a plan is usually completed in a cycle of 15 to 20 years. reasonable.

At this time, Yu Qiu said calmly and firmly: "It's good if it can be done technically, but the problem of funding is not a big problem. The budget of 5 billion is not enough and can be added."

good guy...

Li Kang, Ning Xingqing and other people from Xincheng University were all stunned, and their expressions read: I can't understand, but I was shocked!

Before everyone came back to their senses, Yu Qiu had already got up, she looked at everyone and fixed her eyes on Ning Xingqing and said, "Professor Ning, we hope that you will be the chief scientist of this project. Come up with an executable theoretical plan, and if the plan is approved, the Natural Science Foundation of China can allocate funds to start the 'Sky Mirror' project."

Speak clearly and clearly.

Li Kang and others personally sent Yu Qiu and Fang Hong to leave Xincheng University in a daze. They were still in a daze when the Maybach drove away from the school, especially Ning Xingqing, who had spent most of his life in research and never dreamed that he would welcome them. Such a life opportunity.

Principal Li Kang, who was the first to come to his senses, suppressed the excitement in his heart. He immediately held a seminar with Ning Xingqing and others on this matter. This matter has undoubtedly become the most important and top priority of Xincheng University.

The most urgent task is to demonstrate whether the "Sky Mirror" project can be realized by 2015. The Natural Science Foundation has given a one-month deadline, and the time is still very tight.

All in all, Xincheng University must not miss the opportunity to lead the cooperation of the "Sky Mirror" project.

...

On the other side, the Maybach drove into Huayang Villa, and the two entered Jingxinju Villa. After returning, Yu Qiu's temperament suddenly changed. She looked at Fang Hong and said with a smile on her face, "How is it? OK?"

At this moment, Yu Qiu's smiling expression seemed to mean "quickly praise me". Fang Hong glanced at her and smiled with satisfaction: "Well, you did a good job, so you should be rewarded."

Yu Qiu and Fang Hong looked at each other and said without concealment: "Do you want to send people away in one shot? If you think well, at least three shots!"

After speaking, she slowly left the living room and headed for the bedroom, which was on the first floor.

At this time, Yu Qiu glanced back at Fang Hong, and gave him a look. Fang Hong understood what he meant, um, what the director meant was to quench his thirst and satisfy his hunger right now. Fang Hong smiled calmly and walked forward. go.

All you need to do is get the chairman of the board, and if the chairman is satisfied, the rest of the board of directors can be taken care of.

Therefore, getting the chairman of the board is the basis for getting everything done, and there is nothing wrong with it.

There is nothing that can't be done in one shot, if there is, then another shot.

...

In the following days, Ning Xingqing from Xincheng University led a team to demonstrate the scientific and technological requirements of the "Sky Mirror" with more than a dozen other scientists from Xincheng University, and the principal Li Kang was also present at the meeting.

Time is too precious, not only to cope with the solution given by the Natural Science Foundation, Ning Xingqing himself and Xincheng University also hope that the "Mirror of the Sky" project can be completed smoothly.

The top priority now is to demonstrate the feasibility of the "Sky Mirror" project.

"...The technical requirements are formulated according to the average gravitational wave detection sensitivity of the observed celestial events, and the ratio of the gravitational wave detection sensitivity h to the arm length of the relevant interferometer is [h=2δL/L]." In the seminar , Ning Xingqing listed a formula, and then said: "In this formula, L is the arm length of the interferometer, and δL is the change in the arm length, that is, the -1/2 power of mHz. But it should be noted that the technical The requirements are given in terms of the density of gravitationally measured linear spectral lines..."

Ning Xingqing continued: "The basic principle of gravitational wave detection in space is to use the distance between the free-floating test masses in space as a sensor, and convert the gravitational wave signal into a signal of the change in the distance between the test masses. To achieve the sensitivity required by the gravitational wave detector, Rely on three main factors."

Principal Li Kang who attended the meeting asked: "Which three factors?"

Ning Xingqing replied: "The first is the arm length of the interferometer; the second is the ability to accurately measure the change of the distance between the two test masses; the third is the ability to measure and suppress other non-conservative forces except gravitational waves, so as to ensure the laser interferometric ranging The system can effectively detect gravitational wave signals."

Everyone couldn't help but nodded, and Ning Xingqing continued: "The second is the problem of measurement principle and payload. In order to realize a space-based interferometer, two sets of laser interference systems are designed on the mother spacecraft, one of which is used to detect Lock-in amplification of weak light."

"In order to better respond to the polarization characteristics of gravitational waves, three satellite formation arrays at the top of an equilateral triangle are used. Each satellite should be equipped with two test masses, which serve as the endpoints of the three interferometers to form two sets of interstellar Laser interferometer. Space gravitational wave detection uses a free-floating test mass as a sensor to convert the gravitational wave signal into a signal of the change in the distance between the test masses, that is, the change in the length of the interferometer arm."

...