37 Indians played a role in discovering Gravitational waves

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Feb 12, 2016: A billion years after the violent collision of two black holes in space, scientists have glimpsed gravitational waves, which travel at the speed of light and cannot be stopped or blocked by anything.

The landmark discovery for physics of ripples in space-time, which Albert Einstein predicted a century ago, is the result of a worldwide collaboration between scientists. 37 Indians were part of the global effort of nearly 1,000 experts.

The discovery of gravitational waves "may inaugurate a new era of astronomy in which gravitational waves are tools for studying the most mysterious and exotic objects in the universe," said The Washington Post.

The wobble that was generated after the black holes collided hurtled through space and was picked up by some of the world’s most sophisticated machines in September last year. Think about it  - these gravitational waves originated 1.3 billion years ago.

Nearly a decade ago, the method of how to detect gravitational waves was proposed by Sanjeev Dhurandhar and Satya Prakash who worked at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics in Pune.
 
37 other scientists from top research centres and labs in Mumbai, Pune and Bengaluru provided crucial research for the worldwide experiment.

The machines that gave scientists their first-ever glimpse at gravitational waves are the most advanced detectors ever built for sensing tiny vibrations in the universe. The two US-based underground detectors are known as the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory, or LIGO for short.

India is aiming to get the world’s third LIGO at an estimated cost of 1,000 crores. As part of the ongoing Indo-US cooperation in science and technology, America will provide India with nearly $140 million of equipment.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a known space buff, tweeted last night about India and the LIGO.

Scientists in India are excited that when the detector is up and running  in India, they will be able to pinpoint  from where exactly these sounds of the Universe have been emerging.