Description
At the beginning of the 20th century, the physicist Albert Einstein proposed that when bodies such as stars or planets revolve around them, gravitational waves are produced, similar to the waves produced when a stone is thrown into a pond. However, direct observation of the theory took almost 100 years. The waves were detected in September 2015 by scientists using two laser interferometer gravitational wave observatories in Louisiana and Washington, USA. (Read also: A Look at Gravitational Waves and LIGO) But even so, more observatories of this type are needed to analyze gravitational waves in depth and cover the entire sky. With this motivation, the Union Cabinet headed by Narendra Modi on Thursday approved a project to build and set up a Laser Interferometer of Gravitational Wave Observatory-India (LIGO-India) at Hingoli, Maharashtra at a cost of ₹2.6 billion. rupees, with completion scheduled for 2030. Einstein's theory of general relativity predicts gravitational waves as "ripples in space-time." Mass bends or bends space-time in the same way that a sheet is stretched when a ball is placed on it. When two masses orbit each other, they cause ripples in space-time similar to those caused by two balls on a sheet of paper.
Studying gravitational waves helps scientists understand some of the most fundamental laws of physics, such as the formation and growth of galaxies, black holes, and the ability to observe the universe as little as a fraction of a second after space. Big Bang. .
The construction of a third LIGO interferometer is primarily motivated by the need to build a larger global network of gravitational wave detectors.
A network of widely separated facilities is needed to extract the best information from gravitational waves, locate sources, test theories of gravity, space, and time, and provide important clues to puzzles in astrophysics and cosmology.
Two detectors in an array, like the ones at Livingston and Washington, can confirm that a signal is a gravitational wave, but they can't effectively locate the source or reveal the true polarization of the wave.
A three-detector array can improve polarization information and source location, but four comparable detectors must operate simultaneously around the world to locate a source anywhere in the sky, according to a LIGO observatory report.
LIGO India will be the fifth detector after Virgo from Italy and KAGRA from Japan. This will greatly improve the probability that four detectors will be working at any given time, playing a critical role in the global network of gravitational wave detectors.
