IIT Roorkee, IPTA collaborate to work on detection of low-frequency gravitational waves

NEW DELHI: A team from Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT-R) was part of the first data release of the Indian Pulsar Timing Array collaboration. The Indo-Japanese collaboration with International Pulsar Timing Array (IPTA) intends to work on detection of low-frequency gravitational waves.

This year's InPTA data release comes from three and a half years of observation using the upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (uGMRT) operated by NCRA-TIFR near Pune. IIT Roorkee, department of physics, P Arumugam along with his team including PhD student, Jaikhomba Singha, and IITR alumnus, Piyush Marmat have been actively involved in the collaboration. The research got published recently in the Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia.

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Researchers have been eavesdropping on the gravitational waves, such waves are generated by supermassive black hole binary pairs orbiting around each other for millions of years during their courses of collision. The primary hindrance in their detection is the vast ocean of interstellar mediums lying in between. The InPTA data is critical for charting this interstellar ‘weather’ and paving a way to the discovery in near future.

Highlighting the importance of this research, P Arumugam, said: “This is an important release of our collaboration and will eventually help detect gravity waves in a new window.”

The institute recently held its 175th year of foundation day on November 25, 2022. The event gathered students, alumni, faculty and staff members with events including Kavi Sammelan, startup expo, drone show among others. Several dignitaries attended the celebratory event.