Scientist earns prestigious physics award for pioneering work with China's FAST telescope

Chinese scientist Li Di has been named the recipient of the individual prize at the 17th Marcel Grossmann Awards for his groundbreaking work utilizing China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST). This prestigious award marks the first time a scientist based entirely on research conducted within China has received this recognition.

Li, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Sciences' National Astronomical Observatories and the chief scientist of FAST, is credited with leading his team to significant discoveries. Since its inauguration in 2016, FAST, the world's largest single-dish radio telescope located in Guizhou province, has identified over 900 new pulsars. This remarkable number surpasses discoveries made by foreign telescopes during the same period by a factor of three.

Li's team's contributions extend beyond pulsar discoveries. They have achieved technological breakthroughs through FAST, enabling precise measurements of interstellar magnetic fields and propelling the field of fast radio burst (FRB) research into a new era of large-scale statistical analysis.

The Marcel Grossmann Award, presented by the International Center for Relativistic Astrophysics every three years, recognizes exceptional scholars for their achievements in the field of relativistic theory and experimentation. Prior to Li Di, distinguished Chinese-origin scientists like Chen Ning Yang, Tsung-Dao Lee, and Shing-Tung Yau have received this esteemed honor.