China's AIMS telescope in mid-infrared band operational

BEIJING -- The world's first solar magnetic-field telescope working in the mid-infrared wavelength has passed its final acceptance review and is now officially commissioned, according to the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC).

The telescope, known as the Accurate Infrared Magnetic Field Measurements of the Sun (AIMS), not only closes the global gap in mid-infrared solar magnetic-field observations, but also provides a crucial benchmark for erecting future large-scale astronomical facilities at high-altitude sites, said Deng Yuanyong, a researcher at the NAOC.

The solar magnetic field acts as the "master switch" that powers the eruptions such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections, the Science and Technology Daily reported.

Measuring it with high precision is therefore central not only to understanding the physics of the Sun and all fixed stars, but also to forecasting space weather and safeguarding technological systems.

"Intense solar magnetic activity can directly impair communications, navigation and power grids on Earth, while current measurements, which are carried out almost exclusively in the visible wavelengths, remain limited in precision," Deng explained. "This has become a major bottleneck in improving the understanding and forecasting of solar activity."

The researchers began the development of the AIMS in 2015.

The AIMS is located in the Lenghu township in Northwest China's Qinghai province, at an average altitude of about 4,000 meters. Despite thin air and a harsh environment, such a site offers near-perfect conditions for viewing the Sun at mid-infrared wavelengths.

The telescope has turned solar magnetic-field measurement from indirect inference into direct detection, remarkably boosting its precision.

The accuracy of direct solar magnetic-field measurements was improved to over 10 gauss. At the same time, the telescope achieved a fully domestically made design, including key components such as the infrared spectrograph, imaging camera and vacuum cryogenic system.

During commissioning and trial observation, the telescope has already captured mid-infrared flare data across several bands, providing fresh observational leverage on how matter and energy are transported in solar eruptions and on the build-up and release of magnetic free energy, Deng said.

Now officially in its scientific output phase, the AIMS is expected to deliver data that will underpin cutting-edge solar-physics research in China and sharpen the country's capabilities in solar-activity monitoring and space-weather forecasting.