LIGO INDIA PROJECT - Overview, Purpose, Benefits, Importance, Funding And More

LIGO India is a groundbreaking project that aims to explore the mysteries of the universe. LIGO stands for Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory. LIGO India possesses advanced technology and modern facilities. It will join other observatories around the world to detect gravitational waves. These waves hold valuable information about black holes, neutron stars, and other cosmic events. 

LIGO India will help us understand the universe better by studying these waves. This article will explain the importance of LIGO India and how it can contribute to our knowledge of the cosmos. 

LIGO India is important from the perspective of the UPSC IAS Examination. It falls under the Science and Technology section of General Studies Paper 3 (mains) and General Studies Paper 1 (Prelims).

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Recent Updates

In November 2021, the LIGO project received 225 hectares of land from the Hingoli revenue department in Maharashtra for the construction of the nation’s first such facility.

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What is LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory)?

LIGO is a large-scale physics experiment and observatory. It detects cosmic gravitational waves and develops gravitational-wave observations as an astronomical tool. 

• LIGO was first proposed in 1964 by Rainer Weiss, a physicist.
• Two large observatories were built in the United States:
  • Hanford, Washington, and 
  • Livingston, Louisiana.
• These observatories aimed to detect gravitational waves by laser interferometry.
  • They use mirrors spaced four kilometers apart. 
  • These mirrors are capable of detecting a change of less than one ten-thousandth the charge diameter of a proton.
• LIGO was first turned on in 2002 and began collecting data in 2005.
• LIGO made its first detection of gravitational waves in 2015.
• LIGO has since detected gravitational waves from a variety of sources. This includes merging black holes, colliding neutron stars, and supernovae.

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What is LIGO India?

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), India, is a collaboration project. It involves a consortium of Indian research institutes and the LIGO laboratory in the United States. It also includes some international partners (Germany, Australia, and the United Kingdom). LIGO-India will be the world’s third gravitational-wave-type observatory. Two of them are located at Hanford in Washington, USA, and Livingston in Louisiana, USA. Currently, all 3 detectors are being upgraded. The plan under consideration is to move one of the gravitational wave detectors from Hanford to Hingoli.

Overview of LEGO India Project

LIGO-India is a cooperation between the LIGO Laboratory and Indian institutes.

Some of the important facts about LIGO India are given in the table below as follows:

Purpose of the LIGO project

The major purposes behind establishing a worldwide network are described as follows:

• The main purpose of the third LIGO interferometer is to build a large global network of gravitational wave detectors.
• Adding more detectors (LIGO) to the worldwide network; 
• Improving our abilities to test theories of gravity, space, and time, and 
• Understanding important unresolved information in astrophysics and cosmology.

Benefits of LIGO India

Here are the benefits of LIGO-India:

• LIGO-India will be more sensitive to gravitational waves than the existing LIGO detectors. This will allow it to detect more events.
• LIGO-India will be able to better localize the source of gravitational waves. This will help astronomers study them in more detail.
• LIGO-India is expected to generate a significant amount of new scientific data. This will help astronomers to better understand the universe.
• LIGO-India will be part of an international network of gravitational wave detectors. This will allow Indian scientists to collaborate with scientists from around the world.
• LIGO-India is a major scientific project. It will need the development of new technologies. This will help boost India's science and technology capabilities.

Scientists that received the Nobel Prize (2017) in Physics for their work on LIGO Detectors and Observation of Gravitational Waves are 

1. Rainer Weiss – Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
2. Kip Thorne – California Institute of Technology
3. Barry C Barish – California Institute of Technology.

LIGO Observatory In India

LIGO Observatory in India is a part of the worldwide gravitational-wave network. It is an engineering marvel to detect gravitational waves from Indian soil.

• LIGO Observatory India is a collaboration of MIT, Caltech, and other research institutions.
• In 2016, the central government approved the LIGO-India mega-research initiative to study gravitational waves.
• The observatory will be constructed in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, costing 12.6 billion rupees (US$177 million). It is expected to be finished in 2024.

Importance Of LIGO India

The importance of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) in India is as follows:

Impact on Indian Science & Research

• It will help the Indian scientific community to be a major player in the emerging research frontier of GW astronomy.

• To establish distances between observatories so that gravitational waves can be detected accurately.
• India will get an opportunity to solve the unresolved questions of space. It will be able to solve the mysteries of physics & gravitational wave sciences.
• The initiative will further inspire frontier research and development projects in India.

Impact on Indian Education and public outreach

• This can serve as a local focus to interest and inspire students and young scientists.

• The LIGO India project will bring together Indian scientists and engineers from diverse fields.

Impact on Indian Industry

• The high-level engineering requirements of the LIGO India project will provide unprecedented opportunities for Indian physical research and industry.

Image Source: LIGO India

Also, read about the Juno Mission here!

Institutions Collaborating in the LIGO-India Project

This project is being led by four key leading institutes in India, which are as follows-

• Directorate of Construction Services and Estate Management (DCSEM)
• Institution for Plasma Research, Gandhinagar
• The Inter-University Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics
• The Raja Ramanna Center for Advanced Technology, Indore

Funding of LIGO India Project

• The additional funding for LIGO-India detector was being considered by the Government of India departments - DST and DAE.
• The US NSF agreed to relocate one of its Hanford detectors to LIGO-India if India provides additional funding.
• In February 2016, PM Modi announced cabinet approval for LIGO-India proposal after LIGO's first gravitational wave detection.
• An MoU was signed in March 2016 between DAE, DST in India and NSF in the US to develop the observatory.
• As of July 2021, the projected cost was Rs. 1,200 Crores awaiting full cabinet approval.
• In April 2023, full approval was granted to build the detector in Maharashtra at a cost of Rs. 2,600 Crores to be completed by 2030.
• In June 2023, the statement by Biden and Modi welcomed the start of LIGO's construction in India.

What are Gravitational waves?

Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of spacetime. The acceleration of massive objects causes these waves. 

• These cosmic waves travel in different directions at the speed of light (186,000 miles per second). 
• In 1916, Albert Einstein explained the existence of these waves in his theory of general relativity.
• Through LIGO and Virgo collaboration, scientists were able to confirm the existence of gravitational waves in 2016.
• Gravitational waves have since been observed from a variety of sources. This includes merging black holes, colliding neutron stars, and supernovae.

How Gravitational Waves Originated?

The strongest intense gravitational waves are produced when objects travel at extremely fast speeds. Several scenarios that could result in a gravitational wave include:

• When a star erupts in an uneven manner (called a supernova)
• By collision of neutron stars
• Whenever two black holes collide and fuse

Conclusion

The new Ligo observatory will allow in-depth research into black holes and neutron stars. It will increase opportunities for astronomical exploration in India and the world.

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