The Buryat Republic Sayan Observatory is 2,000 metres above sea level, where the largest Russian solar telescope is being built. With the consent of scientists from the Institute of Solar and terrestrial physics (ISZF) of the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the reporter entered the construction site to learn about the construction of this scientific facility.
The Buryat Republic is building the largest Russian solar telescope.
Russia and the world’s scientific community have high hopes for this solar telescope: its 3-meter mirror equipped with adaptive optics system, so that people can better understand the sun’s activities, and more accurately predict solar flares that could harm Earth’s infrastructure. “There is only one such telescope in the world, and we are building a second, with a resolution of 0.1 arc seconds,” said Academician Zherebtsov, the project’s scientific director. We will be able to observe magnetic fields with high precision, see how sunspots form, and find the triggers for energy events. Moreover, the location of the telescope is no accident. This altitude of more than 2,000 meters has a unique astronomical climate-the air is transparent and sunny, creating the best conditions for observation. The necessary infrastructure is now in place.”
The schedule exceeded the plan
A year ago, the foundation of this unique instrument was poured with the first concrete, and the outline of the future telescope is now clearly visible. The scale of the construction is impressive. In spite of the bad weather, the construction went on at full speed. Fadeyev, deputy director of infrastructure at the Institute of Solar and terrestrial physics at the Siberian Russian Academy of Sciences, said, construction is four months ahead of schedule: “We are making the most of the warm season, as winter may slow things down a bit.”. At the same time, we strictly control the construction process and quality of building materials, not only the site has its own laboratory, regulatory departments will also regularly check. “The earthquake here was 80 or 90 degrees. We took every measure to ensure structural stability. Additional reinforcement was designed, and protective expansion joints are designed to ensure structural stability when the earth’s crust moves.”
One year, the site has completed all the foundation pouring, semi-basement almost all completed, is currently building the third block of technical floor. The construction side plans to complete all pipeline laying and earth backfilling before winter. The telescope will help humans better understand solar activity and better predict solar flares that could harm Earth’s facilities.
Walking into the future of the administrative and experimental building, the reporter visited for the 30-meter-high telescope tower built filled with rebar foundation. The foundation is laid on the strongest rock, with high-strength concrete. Academician Zherebtsov, Science Director of the Russian Academy of Sciences solar-terrestrial physics complex, expressed satisfaction with the construction, but noted that scientists and builders now face new tasks. “We have to make sure we are on schedule and everything is on schedule,” he said. Another task of this trip is to determine the installation of instruments and sequence, clear telescope mirror manufacturing schedule. Alexander Ignatov, general manager of the Lytkarino Optical Glass Works, is here with us. We will also discuss technical solutions, where the mechanical structure is very complex.”
The telescope core
The large solar telescope (KST) is a complete optical system, with all components, including the 3m primary mirror, to be built by the Lytkarino optical glass factory. Ignatov, the plant’s general manager, said the factory’s accumulated production experience gave him the confidence to complete the task. He said: “Our factory in the manufacture of large-scale high-precision components have a wealth of experience.”. Over the past 30 years, we have won many tenders in this direction, including international tenders, and manufactured more than 100 of these components, and we produce optical components that are installed on many telescopes on almost every continent. The KST-3 optical system consists of approximately 30 components and we are currently working on technical issues related to project implementation. The primary mirror for the telescope will take three to four years to build. The difficulty is that it’s not spherical, it’s aspheric, a very complex surface. We can make theoretical curved surfaces to nanometer accuracy.”
Ignatov shares a common language with academician Zherebtsov and his colleagues, not only because they have known each other for a long time, but also because the institute of Heliophysics at the Siberian Russian Academy of Sciences is not only the project owner, he is also the general contractor for major scientific projects in this country. “Kst-3 was born at the solar-terrestrial Physics Institute,” Zherebtsov said. The idea was Russian Academy of Sciences by Grigoryev, a fellow at our institute. The instrument (and the whole Russian Academy of Sciences solar-terrestrial Physics Complex) was also designed by our scientists. Our ideas are becoming reality, and of course we are apprehensive, constantly looking for the right solution, and feeling like pioneers. It’s a big responsibility. I hope we’re All Right!”
Finished by 2030
Construction of the telescope is expected to be completed by 2030. By then, the Russian Academy of Sciences of the Heliophysics Institute at the Siberian Branch will have doubled to 1,000. KST-3 is one of seven facilities in the Russian state heliophysical complex, two of which are operational, namely the Optical Instrument Complex and the multi-band radio heliograph. Other facilities, to be completed by 2030, include K?datsu and the radar complex, heating platform and data processing center. According to the design, the KST-3 will be installed on the top of the 30-metre tower and placed on a rotating platform. The overall structure is 42 metres high and the telescope weighs 120 tons, at a construction cost of 36 billion rubles.
Another facility at the Institute of Solar and terrestrial physics of the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences has been approved by the State Administration of accreditation for the construction of a lidar complex at the Bégard Observatory for atmospheric physics and ecological monitoring, it is used to study the hard-to-reach upper atmosphere of the earth and to provide solutions to a range of problems in the field of global climate change.