Construction of the National Major Science and Technology Infrastructure Precision Gravity Measurement Project

[ China Instrument Network Instrument R&D ] The Precision Gravity Measurement Building and the Cave Laboratory, which is located in Huazhong University of Science and Technology, started construction on June 30th.

The national major scientific and technological infrastructure is a large-scale complex scientific research system that provides the ultimate research means for exploring the unknown world, discovering the laws of nature, and realizing technological change. It is the material and technological foundation that breaks through the frontiers of science and solves major scientific and technological problems in economic and social development and national security. The country's major scientific and technological infrastructure is of great significance for enhancing China's original innovation capability, achieving leapfrogging of key areas, ensuring long-term development of science and technology, and achieving the goal of moving from a technological power to a technological power.

Precision Gravity Measurement National Major Science and Technology Infrastructure is one of the 16 major scientific and technological infrastructure projects supported by the state during the “Twelfth Five-Year Plan” period. The project acquires, evaluates and applies gravity data with global milli-gauge and benchmark micro-gauge levels. With the goal of capability, we are committed to building two platforms: gravity measurement reference and gravity measurement physical simulation.

The total planned investment of the project is 907.8 million yuan, and the construction period is 5 years. Among them, the state invested 75.78 million yuan, and Hubei, Wuhan and the development zones each supported 50 million yuan. The project covers an area of ​​120 mu, newly built 30,000 square meters precision gravity survey building, reconstruction and expansion of 6000 square meters cave laboratory and related supporting public facilities.

The project management department is the Ministry of Education and the Hubei Provincial People's Government. The project legal entity is Huazhong University of Science and Technology. The joint construction units are the Institute of Measurement and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), and Sun Yat-Sen University.

The construction unit of the precision gravity measurement project is the Gravitation Center of Huazhong University of Science and Technology. The Gravitation Center of Huazhong University of Science and Technology has accumulated more than 30 years of research and accumulation in the field of precision gravity measurement research. It has achieved a series of internationally influential achievements in the research of gravitational precision measurement frontier scientific issues and the service of precision gravity measurement.

The result of accurately measuring Newton's universal gravitational constant G is adopted by the CODATA value recommended by the International Physical Basic Constants Committee; the G accuracy is measured by two different methods to reach the international best level of similar experiments; the resolution of cold atomic interference gravity measurement is internationally leading. Level; high-precision electrostatic suspension accelerometer has reached the international level, and completed the in-orbit space experiment in April 2017; laser angle reflector for laser ranging for the pilot study of the "Tianqin Plan" (Space Gravitational Wave Detection Program) The load was carried off by the satellite "Bengqiao" in May this year.

The construction of the precision gravity measurement project can provide important support for solving scientific problems in the study of solid earth evolution, ocean and climate change, water resources distribution and geological disasters, and provide for the research, measurement and application research of basic science and precision gravity instruments in China. The necessary experimental conditions, and meet the strategic needs of gravity data and gravity benchmarks such as geological surveys and resource exploration in China.

(Source: Construction of the National Major Science and Technology Infrastructure Precision Gravity Measurement Project)