Beijing May 21 (IANS) China s five hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) -- the world s largest single-dish radio telescope -- will have a new receiver installed to boost its efficiency in surveying the sky the media reported.
The 19-beam L-band receiver first of its kind worldwide is expected to be put into use in early June and it will increase FAST s survey speed by five to six times Xinhua news agency reported.
The receiver was jointly developed by scientists from China and Australia. It weighs 1.2 tonne and costs about $3.14 million.
According to Jin Chengjin chief engineer of FAST s receiver system the new receiver is highly sensitive and will greatly improve FAST s efficiency in searching for new pulsars and spectral lines.
Its tasks include observation of pulsars exploration of interstellar molecules and monitoring interstellar communication signals the report said.

--IANS rt/in/bg