Chapter 122 Calculating Betelgeuse
In the box, several fellow doctoral students felt that the scientific research project of this master from the Institute of Mathematics and Mathematics was a bit unreliable, but they had no more choices.
The Department of Astronomy is not a Department of Mathematics. Ph.D. students in the Department of Mathematics can also use the uniqueness of mathematics as a tool to participate in scientific research projects in other disciplines such as physics, chemistry, biology, materials, etc., to gain qualifications or even gain gold.
But the things studied by the Department of Astronomy are of no use to other projects, and it is simply impossible to participate in other projects to gain qualifications.
Nowadays, there is a project that requires people from the astronomy department. They give up, and some people come to help.
No matter how unreliable the project is, it is still a scientific research project. As long as you participate in it, you can add a colorful touch to your resume in the future.
And, just in case, just in case, just in case this project really succeeds, then the astronomy department of NTU will be directly ranked first among universities in the country, and even first in Asia.
The entire astronomical community, let alone NTU, currently has no way to accurately measure the mass information of a red supergiant star that is 640 light-years away.
If they, no, if the young junior brother in front of them can do it, and they participate again, they can also have the qualifications of a pioneer.
Not to mention second author or third author, these are not extravagant expectations. Just mentioning them in the paper and showing that the materials were collected and compiled by them can make them appear in the world.
From now on, when I go out, I can brag like this during chats and gatherings.
Hey, do you know that Betelgeuse is about to go supernova 640 light years away? Its precise size and shape was determined by me! Yes, I am a pioneer in the astronomy world!
With this mentality, several doctoral students from the Department of Astronomy officially participated in Xu Chuan's scientific research project.
Xu Chuan didn't bother to explain the calculation mechanism behind the Xu-Weyl-Berry theorem. Not to mention astronomy students who knew almost nothing about mathematics, even NTU mathematics professors might not be able to understand it in a short time.
Anyway, the tasks of these senior brothers are very simple. They just need to collect data according to his requirements. The final calculation is done by him himself.
NTU, Xianlin Campus, Zuodijiang Observatory.
Xu Chuan followed several doctoral students to visit the astronomy institute.
It was built with donations from the Zuo Dijiang Foundation of Hong Kong and is one of the most advanced observatories in universities across the country.
"Kawashen, I have to say that you are really lucky."
"If you had started this project one or two years in advance, I'm afraid you would have to go to Qinghai or southern Yunnan for the basic parts."
"But now, we have Zuodijiang Observatory and Purple Mountain Observatory. These two astronomical research stations were only officially completed and opened in 2014. The reflecting telescope, Schmidt telescope and radio telescope inside are enough to collect some basic data. , can save you a lot of research funds.”
Walking on Dingshan Mountain in the school, Liu Xuan introduced Xu Chuan with a smile.
"Only part of it can be collected?" Xu Chuan was stunned for a moment and asked with a frown.
He really didn't know much about the astronomical world. He only knew that Nanda's astronomy department ranked among the top universities in the country, and that there was a nationally famous Purple Mountain Observatory in Jinling.
He thought that these two places would be able to complete the collection of information about Betelgeuse, but from what Senior Brother Liu meant, it seemed that these two places could only collect part of it.
Liu Xuan nodded and continued: "It's good to be able to collect part of it. If it was 14 years ago, part of it wouldn't be collected."
"The Zuodijiang Observatory is built behind our school. Although it is not top-notch in terms of undergraduate teaching content, it is equipped with a number of astronomical equipment that can be used."
"Most of the astronomical equipment at the Purple Mountain Observatory is not located on the Purple Mountain. It is actually distributed in Qinghai, Xuyi, Ganyu, Antarctica and other places."
"What is on Purple Mountain is actually just a scientific research and popularization park."
"Didn't you give me the necessary data last night? I did some research after I got back. If we follow the above standards, this scientific research experiment will require at least a trip to southern Yunnan and Qinghai."
"A real astronomical observation experiment requires not only top-level astronomical equipment, but also an excellent astronomical observation environment."
"Don't even think about placing astronomical equipment on Purple Mountain or in schools. That's impossible. The light pollution produced by a large city at night has a great impact on astronomical observations."
"So at most we can collect some basic data here, and the top-level data must be collected in southern Yunnan and Qinghai using large astronomical equipment there."
"But don't worry. I checked that the astronomical observation array of the Southern Yunnan Observatory currently does not have any large-scale observation and scientific research projects, and it can be applied for use."
After a pause, Liu Xuan continued: "This is actually quite good, at least we don't need to go abroad."
"If you want to observe the aurora and some planets that are only visible in the southern hemisphere, you have to go to the Antarctic, and sometimes you have to go during the polar night, otherwise you won't be able to observe it."
"I went to that hellish place once last year with my mentor. I stayed there for a month. The temperature was 30 to 40 degrees below zero and your penis was so cold that you could freeze. I've been there once and I don't want to go there a second time."
“Although the scenery is quite beautiful, it’s just like that if you stay there for a long time.”
Xu Chuan nodded. He had never been to Antarctica, but the temperature was 30 to 40 degrees below zero, which made him feel cold.
The coldest place he had been to in his previous life for a physics project was the permafrost in Iceland. He went there once when the temperature was about minus 20 degrees Celsius, and he was so cold that he doubted his life.
It was scary to think about conducting scientific research in a temperature of minus 30 or 40 degrees Celsius.
And if something happened in Antarctica, it would be too late to rescue.
After visiting the school's astronomical observatory and learning about the equipment for astronomical experiments, Xu Chuan returned to the dormitory.
He wanted to continue to improve the Xu-Weyl-Berry theorem, and the data collection on Betelgeuse was handed over to several doctoral students in the Department of Astronomy.
With the help of senior brother Fan Pengyue, there was no need to worry about any problems.
As for time, if he followed his requirements, it would take about ten days to a month to complete the data collection on Betelgeuse.
Such a large error was mainly determined by when the astronomical observation array of the Southern Yunnan Observatory could be applied for and the nature of the astronomical observation activities.
Let's not talk about the former. Even if the astronomical observation array of the observatory in southern Yunnan is in cooperation with Nanjing University, and even if it currently has no large-scale observation projects, it is not so easy to apply for queue jumping.
The time required for astronomical observation activities is not fixed, because different technical parameters and different telescopes must be used continuously for measurement, and finally a relative value is obtained.
During this period, all Xu Chuan can do is wait.
However, after completing the transformation and deformation of the Xu-Weyl-Berry theorem, he followed these doctoral students from the Department of Astronomy to go to southern Yunnan.
The so-called astronomical observation array of the observatory is actually in a mountain valley where no one lives, and there are no people for dozens of kilometers around, which eliminates light pollution to the greatest extent.
But corresponding to this is that the life of the staff is extremely inconvenient, and there are almost no entertainment activities. The chef of the cafeteria has to run dozens of kilometers to buy vegetables or have them delivered by special people.
Under the guidance of the doctoral student, Xu Chuan used a large optical astronomical telescope to observe Betelgeuse, which is 614 light years away.
The stars seen by the naked eye in the night sky are actually only slightly larger than an egg in the mirror of a large astronomical telescope, which is far from the huge stars imagined.
The shape is like an egg yolk with a little force applied in a certain direction. Except for one side protruding a little, it can be said to be ordinary.
It was the brilliant Milky Way. Xu Chuan saw its true vastness and beauty for the first time.
In this wasteland without light pollution and excellent air, the vast Milky Way is like a transparent, bright and colorful silk, and like a squinting eye in the sky, which is very strange and beautiful.
And a bright half-moon hangs in the dark night, emitting a cold light, and countless stars are shining like gems, inlaid in the clear sky.
Xu Chuan even saw the lunar sea and the super-large crater on it with his naked eyes.
"Beautiful, isn't it."
A voice came from the roof of the institute, and at the same time a figure sat down next to Xu Chuan. It was Liu Xuan, a doctoral student in the Department of Astronomy.
"Well, it's worth the trip."
Xu Chuan responded softly, staring at the Milky Way above his head.
This Milky Way is different from the Milky Way in his memory.
In his memory, the Milky Way is horizontal in the sky.
But what he saw here is a vertical strip of light.
Just like the bridge between the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl on the Qixi Festival, it rises from the distant horizon and extends all the way to the sky, like a sky bridge, connecting the ground and the sea of stars, beautiful beyond words.
It can only be said that such a beautiful scenery cannot be seen in the city.
Liu Xuan smiled and said, "This is also the reason why I study astronomy, because it is so beautiful."
Xu Chuan did not comment, staring at the Milky Way above his head and suddenly asked, "Do you think there are aliens in this vast Milky Way?"
Liu Xuan was stunned for a moment, obviously not expecting Xu Chuan to ask this question, and after thinking for a while, he said, "I don't know, unless I see it with my own eyes."
"But from the perspective of the birth of life, the probability of the existence of alien intelligent life should not be low."
Xu Chuan did not reply, but just stared at the Milky Way silently.
The secret of his rebirth has always been a stone deep in his heart, and no one knows it.
But occasionally, he would think about whether this was a coincidence or an arrangement, but he had never revealed it to anyone.
The two were silent for a while, and Xu Chuan said: "Brother Liu, how is the data collection of Betelgeuse going?"
"The current progress is about 67%. It will take four to five days in southern Yunnan. After completing this, we need to go to Qinghai and use the radio telescope there to collect some mathematics. It will take about a week."
"So it will take about twelve or thirteen days?"
Liu Xuan nodded and said: "Well, almost. This speed is actually very fast. The main reason is that the application for astronomical equipment is almost approved in seconds. This aspect has not delayed for a long time."
"Your luck is so good. When my mentor was doing experiments before, it took more than three months to apply for the observation array in southern Yunnan. Your application was approved in less than a week after it was submitted."
Xu Chuan smiled. This is not luck.
If you want to say, it should be strength + policy.
He solved the Weyl-Berry conjecture, and this conjecture is needed to win a top mathematics award, so it is necessary to expand the influence of the Xu-Weyl-Berry theorem as much as possible.
The research project on Betelgeuse was quickly passed based on this influence.
Xu Chuan did not stay in southern Yunnan for a long time. After three or four days to get the first batch of data, he returned to Jinling.
Although the data collected so far is not comprehensive, the basic data and most of the data he needs have been collected, and it is almost ready for calculation.
Before the observation array at Qinghai collects the data, he is not going to let himself go, and he can use this time to make a preliminary calculation.
After sorting out the collected data, Xu Chuan listed them on the manuscript paper.
Observation object: Betelgeuse.
Classification: red supergiant.
On March 27, 2016, at 3:40 a.m., the calculated diameter was observed to be about 891.986D⊙~901.213D⊙ (D⊙ refers to the diameter of the sun)
On March 27, 2016, at 3:18 a.m., the observed apparent magnitude was +0.827m.
On March 27, 2016, at 3:27 a.m., the observed distance from the earth was 659.76 light years.
On March 27, 2016.
All kinds of data were neatly listed on a piece of manuscript paper. The amount of data was not large, but it was the result of nearly 20 days of hard work by several doctoral students.
Sometimes, it is really hard to do astronomy, because sometimes you have to get up late at night to operate the equipment.
Just like this time, in order to help him collect data, several doctoral students had dark circles under their eyes.
After listing the data, Xu Chuan stared at the data on the manuscript paper for a while and fell into deep thought.
After a while, the black signature pen in his hand once again drew lines of mathematical formulas on the manuscript paper.
".N(λ)=(2π)891n/2 Cn|Ω|n1λ(n1)/2 + o(λ(n1)/2"
"Substitute the speed of light, then N(λ)=(2π)891.986D⊙ω299792.4580.12*λn/2"
Converted to Sobolev space fluctuations
Substitute the interval time, the amplitude function is 0.37 and 0.24
In the dormitory, Xu Chuan stared at the manuscript in his hand, and the black signature pen outlined one number after another on it.
After completing the deformation and transformation of the Xu-Weyl-Berry theorem, it is necessary to apply it to the stars in the three-dimensional world. The data calculation was not difficult for him, but it was a little troublesome.
But this could not stop him.
He put the observation data into the formula one by one, and after a long time, he finally got a complete formula.
After taking a deep breath, Xu Chuan put the final rough boundary value into the formula and made the final calculation.
Soon, the complete data and the calculated answer were presented on the manuscript paper, but the result made him stare wide-eyed.
"How is this possible?"
"How is it possible to calculate two answers?"
Thank you for the reward from the leader 1高山流水1. According to the rules, I will add more chapters for the leader tomorrow.
ps: I wanted to do it today, but I was not in a good state. Changsha was too damn cold. It was almost below zero indoors. My hands were frozen stiff and my brain was frozen.