<p>In what has been described as a groundbreaking discovery, scientists have for the first time “heard” the sound of gravitational waves produced by the slow-motion mergers of supermassive black holes.</p>

<p>The international research consortium, including astrophysicists from India, on Wednesday, recorded the gravitational waves rippling through the fabric of space-time. It is said that they are by far the most powerful ever measured.</p>

<p>The discovery was made by scientists from the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav), who have been closely observing stars called pulsars that act as celestial metronomes.</p>

<h2><strong>Einsetin's theory proven</strong></h2>

<p>Albert Einstein first predicted the existence of gravitational waves a century ago, but it was proved only in 2016 when the US-based Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (Ligo) detected the merger of blackholes, effectively proving that space itself can be stretched and squeezed.</p>

<p>Until their detection in 2016, scientists had found only indirect evidence of their existence, beginning in the 1970s.</p>

<p>Also, the one discovered in 2023 is markedly different from the 2016 gravitational waves as the scientists at that time were able to capture only short “chirps” of gravitational waves linked to mergers of black holes or neutron stars only slightly larger than the sun.</p>

<p>"We’ve opened a new window of observation on the universe,” said Chiara Mingarelli, an astrophysicist and assistant professor at Yale University in the US, and a member of the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) team.</p>

<h2><strong>Sound of 'choir'</strong></h2>

<p>Mingarelli likened the new class of gravitational waves to a “choir, with the pairs of supermassive black holes chiming in at different frequencies”. She also said the gravitational wave background was “about twice as loud as I’d expected”.</p>

<p>Objects called pulsars — extremely dense cores of exploded stars that spin at the speed of kitchen blenders — were crucial in the new research. Nearly 70 pulsars were used in gathering the evidence.</p>

<p>“As gravitational waves pass through the galaxy, they stretch and they squeeze it. And then the times of arrival of these pulses are changed. So one pulsar, as it's approaching the earth, its pulses will arrive a little earlier than we expect, as other pulsars will be away from the earth because it's being affected by the gravitational wave and those pulses arrive a little later,” said Oregon State University astrophysicist Xavier Siemens, a co-director of the NANOGrav.</p>

<p>The results released this week in ‘The Astrophysical Journal Letters’ included 15 years of data from NANOGrav, which has been using telescopes across North America to search for the waves.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p id="6"><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

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In what has been described as a groundbreaking discovery, scientists have for the first time “heard” the sound of gravitational waves produced by the slow-motion mergers of supermassive black holes.

In what has been described as a groundbreaking discovery, scientists have for the first time “heard” the sound of gravitational waves produced by the slow-motion mergers of supermassive black holes. The international research consortium, including astrophysicists from India, on Wednesday, recorded the gravitational waves rippling through the fabric of space-time. It is said that they are by far the most powerful ever measured. The discovery was made by scientists from the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav), who have been closely observing stars called pulsars that act as celestial metronomes. Einsetin's theory proven Albert Einstein first predicted the existence of gravitational waves a century ago, but it was proved only in 2016 when the US-based Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (Ligo) detected the merger of blackholes, effectively proving that space itself can be stretched and squeezed. Until their detection in 2016, scientists had found only indirect evidence of their existence, beginning in the 1970s. Also, the one discovered in 2023 is markedly different from the 2016 gravitational waves as the scientists at that time were able to capture only short “chirps” of gravitational waves linked to mergers of black holes or neutron stars only slightly larger than the sun. "We’ve opened a new window of observation on the universe,” said Chiara Mingarelli, an astrophysicist and assistant professor at Yale University in the US, and a member of the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) team. Sound of 'choir' Mingarelli likened the new class of gravitational waves to a “choir, with the pairs of supermassive black holes chiming in at different frequencies”. She also said the gravitational wave background was “about twice as loud as I’d expected”. Objects called pulsars — extremely dense cores of exploded stars that spin at the speed of kitchen blenders — were crucial in the new research. Nearly 70 pulsars were used in gathering the evidence. “As gravitational waves pass through the galaxy, they stretch and they squeeze it. And then the times of arrival of these pulses are changed. So one pulsar, as it's approaching the earth, its pulses will arrive a little earlier than we expect, as other pulsars will be away from the earth because it's being affected by the gravitational wave and those pulses arrive a little later,” said Oregon State University astrophysicist Xavier Siemens, a co-director of the NANOGrav. The results released this week in ‘The Astrophysical Journal Letters’ included 15 years of data from NANOGrav, which has been using telescopes across North America to search for the waves. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

For first time, scientists ‘hear’ and ‘record’ celestial hum of gravitational waves

In a landmark move, Narendra Modi government approved a project to build an advanced gravitational-wave detector in Maharashtra at an estimated cost of Rs 2,600 crore. In the US, there are already two such ligo observatories. The third such cutting-edge gravitational-wave observatory will be ligo-India. The facility is expected to be completed by 2030.

Observatory in Maharashtra to study gravitational waves

In a landmark move, Narendra Modi government approved a project to build an advanced gravitational-wave detector in Maharashtra at an estimated cost of Rs 2,600 crore. In the US, there are already two such Ligo observatories. The third such cutting-edge gravitational-wave observatory will be Ligo-India. The facility is expected to be completed by 2030.

In a landmark decision, India gives nod to LIGO

India to study secret gravitational waves

<p>The Indian government gave a go-ahead to Rs 2,600-crore project on Thursday for setting up a Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory-India (LIGO-India) in the Aundha area of Hingol district in Maharashtra.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The observatory is being designed to detect gravitational waves, which are ripples in the fabric of spacetime caused by the acceleration of massive objects, such as plants and stars.</p>

<p>The first detection of gravitational waves was made by US-based LIGO on September 14, 2015. LIGO has detected numerous other gravitational waves. These detections have confirmed some of the predictions of Einstein's theory of general relativity and provided a new way to study the universe.</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/india-korea-natural-partners-held-substantive-talks-with-eam-south-korean-foreign-minister-park-jin-to-wion-580323">India, Korea natural partners, held substantive talks with Jaishankar: South Korean FM Park Jin to WION</a></p>

<p>LIGO-India will be located about 450km east of Mumbai. The set-up is expected to be completed by 2030.</p>

<p>Union Space and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said LIGO-India&nbsp;will&nbsp;aid in a more thorough knowledge of gravitational waves as well as other celestial phenomena like neutron stars and black holes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>174 acres of land have been been acquired&nbsp;for LIGO-India. The&nbsp;project has also&nbsp;received environmental approval, and a geotechnical survey has been completed. An empowered board will be established to oversee the project.</p>

<h2><strong>A landmark moment for India&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>This is the first-ever cutting-edge facility of this size being&nbsp;constructed in India.&nbsp;One such facility that has been planned in India, the Neutrino Observatory, has had difficulties. So, LIGO-India&nbsp;is essential for proving India's might&nbsp;to take&nbsp;difficult scientific initiatives independently.</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-asks-aides-to-hire-laura-loomer-an-anti-muslims-for-campaign-role-580360">Trump asks aides to hire Laura Loomer, an anti-Muslim, for campaign role</a></p>

<h2><strong>Collaboration with US LIGO observatories&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>In the US, there are already two such LIGO observatories. The third such cutting-edge gravitational-wave observatory will be LIGO-India. A group of Indian research institutes and the LIGO Laboratory in the United States, together with its worldwide collaborators, are planning to work together on the project. Key lab components worth $80 million, or Rs 560 crore, would be supplied by the US.</p>

<p>In February 2016, the government granted in-principle clearance to LIGO-India. Since then, the project has accomplished a number of significant milestones on the way to choosing and&nbsp;acquiring the land for the&nbsp;observatory.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | Pakistan: National Security Committee to launch new military operation against militants</strong></p>

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<p>The Department of Atomic Energy and the Department of Science and Technology will construct the LIGO-India project with the help of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Science Foundation, US, as well as other national and international research and academic institutes. A UGC independent body will assist with the project as well. Components for the project will be provided by Indian businesses. In order to maximise the scientific yield, LIGO-India will be controlled and maintained scientifically in conjunction with the US LIGO detectors once it is operational.</p>


The Indian government gave a go-ahead to Rs 2,600-crore project on Thursday for setting up a Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory-India (LIGO-India) in the Aundha area of Hingol district in Maharashtra.

The Indian government gave a go-ahead to Rs 2,600-crore project on Thursday for setting up a Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory-India (LIGO-India) in the Aundha area of Hingol district in Maharashtra. The observatory is being designed to detect gravitational waves, which are ripples in the fabric of spacetime caused by the acceleration of massive objects, such as plants and stars. The first detection of gravitational waves was made by US-based LIGO on September 14, 2015. LIGO has detected numerous other gravitational waves. These detections have confirmed some of the predictions of Einstein's theory of general relativity and provided a new way to study the universe. Also Read | India, Korea natural partners, held substantive talks with Jaishankar: South Korean FM Park Jin to WION LIGO-India will be located about 450km east of Mumbai. The set-up is expected to be completed by 2030. Union Space and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said LIGO-India will aid in a more thorough knowledge of gravitational waves as well as other celestial phenomena like neutron stars and black holes. 174 acres of land have been been acquired for LIGO-India. The project has also received environmental approval, and a geotechnical survey has been completed. An empowered board will be established to oversee the project. A landmark moment for India This is the first-ever cutting-edge facility of this size being constructed in India. One such facility that has been planned in India, the Neutrino Observatory, has had difficulties. So, LIGO-India is essential for proving India's might to take difficult scientific initiatives independently. Also Read | Trump asks aides to hire Laura Loomer, an anti-Muslim, for campaign role Collaboration with US LIGO observatories In the US, there are already two such LIGO observatories. The third such cutting-edge gravitational-wave observatory will be LIGO-India. A group of Indian research institutes and the LIGO Laboratory in the United States, together with its worldwide collaborators, are planning to work together on the project. Key lab components worth $80 million, or Rs 560 crore, would be supplied by the US. In February 2016, the government granted in-principle clearance to LIGO-India. Since then, the project has accomplished a number of significant milestones on the way to choosing and acquiring the land for the observatory. Watch | Pakistan: National Security Committee to launch new military operation against militants × The Department of Atomic Energy and the Department of Science and Technology will construct the LIGO-India project with the help of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Science Foundation, US, as well as other national and international research and academic institutes. A UGC independent body will assist with the project as well. Components for the project will be provided by Indian businesses. In order to maximise the scientific yield, LIGO-India will be controlled and maintained scientifically in conjunction with the US LIGO detectors once it is operational.

In landmark move, India gives nod to LIGO observatory in Maharashtra to study gravitational waves

<p>Rumours have been swirling for weeks that scientists have detected gravitational waves &ndash; tiny ripples in space and time &ndash; from a source other than colliding black holes. Now we can finally confirm that we&rsquo;ve observed such waves produced by the violent collision of two massive, ultra-dense stars more than 100m light years from the Earth.</p>

<p>The discovery was made on August 17 by the global network of advanced gravitational-wave interferometers &ndash; comprising the twin LIGO detectors in the US and their European cousin, Virgo, in Italy. It is hugely important, not least because it helps solve some big mysteries in astrophysics &ndash; including the cause of bright flashes of light known as &ldquo;gamma-ray bursts&rdquo; and perhaps even the origins of heavy elements such as gold.</p>

<p>As a member of the LIGO scientific collaboration, I was immediately in raptures as soon as I saw the initial data. And the period that followed was definitely the most intense and sleep deprived, but also incredibly exciting, two months of my career.</p>

<p>The announcement comes just weeks after three scientists were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their foundational work leading to the discovery of gravitational waves, first announced in February 2016. Since then, detecting gravitational waves from colliding black holes have started to feel like familiar territory &ndash; with four further such events detected. But as far as we know, colliding black holes offer purely a window on the dark side of the universe. We haven&rsquo;t been able to register light from these events with any other instruments.</p>

<p>But GW170817 &ndash; the catchy title for the event of August 17 &mdash; changes all that. That&rsquo;s because the source of the waves this time was two &ldquo;neutron stars&rdquo; &ndash; incredibly dense stellar remnants the size of a city, each weighing more than the sun. These stars whizzed around each other at a sizeable fraction of the speed of light before merging in a cataclysmic collision that we&rsquo;ve now seen shake the very fabric of space and time.</p>

<p><strong>Mysteries solved</strong></p>

<p>The cosmic concerto was just beginning, however, astronomers have long suspected that the merger of two neutron stars could be the overture to a short gamma-ray burst &ndash; an intense flash of gamma-ray light that releases more energy in a fraction of a second than the sun will pump out in ten billion years. For several decades we have observed these gamma-ray bursts, but without knowing for sure what causes them.</p>

<p>However, just 1.7 seconds after the gravitational waves from GW170817 arrived at the Earth, NASA&rsquo;s Fermi satellite observed a short burst of gamma rays in the same general region of the sky. LIGO and Virgo had found the smoking gun, and the link between neutron star collisions and short gamma-ray bursts was finally and clearly established.</p>

<p>The combination of gravitational-wave and gamma-ray observations allowed the position of the cosmic explosion to be pinpointed to less than 30 square degrees on the sky &ndash; or about 100 times the size of the full moon. This, in turn, allowed a whole barrage of astronomical telescopes sensitive to light across the entire electromagnetic spectrum to search this small patch of sky for the aftermath of the explosion. And sure enough, this was found &ndash; in an unfashionable backwater towards the edge of a fairly unassuming galaxy called NGC4993, in the constellation of Hydra.</p>

<p>Over the next few days and weeks, astronomers watched agog as the embers from the explosion glowed brightly and faded, beautifully matching the pattern expected for a so-called &ldquo;kilonova&rdquo;. This is produced when material rich in subatomic particles known as neutrons from the initial merger is ejected at great speed by the gamma-ray burst. This ploughs into the surrounding region of space, triggering the production of heavy radioactive elements.</p>

<p>These unstable elements typically split up (decay) to a stable state by emitting radiation. This is what causes the glow of the kilonova, which we have now confirmed by mapping it out in exquisite detail. Our observations also strongly support the theory that the stable end-products of these chains of reactions include copious amounts of precious metals like gold and platinum. While we&rsquo;ve suspected neutron stars to be key to producing these elements in space, that hypothesis now looks a whole lot more convincing. Indeed, the kilonova that formed from the embers of GW170817 could have produced as much gold as the entire mass of the Earth &ndash; that is 1,000 trillion tonnes.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">What is a binary neutron star? <a href="https://twitter.com/martin_astro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Martin_astro</a> tells us about one of the most bizarre objects in the universe. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoldenBinary?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoldenBinary</a> <a href="https://t.co/AzHTReV8Z7">pic.twitter.com/AzHTReV8Z7</a></p>
&mdash; Uni of Glasgow (@UofGlasgow) <a href="https://twitter.com/UofGlasgow/status/919936738893602816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>By observing a kilonova &ldquo;up close and personal&rdquo; for the very first time, and seeing how well it fits into the unfolding astronomical storyboard that began with the neutron star merger, astronomers have taken a huge leap forward in our understanding of these violent cosmic events.</p>

<p>The idea that we are all made of stardust is increasingly appreciated in popular culture &ndash; in everything from documentaries to song lyrics. But the mind-blowing concept that the gold in our wedding rings and Rolex watches is made of neutron stardust is about to catch on. Perhaps even more exciting, however, is the enormous potential now unlocked by this radical, new approach to studying the cosmos.</p>

<p>By working together collaboratively &ndash; using instruments that operate not just across the entire spectrum of light but are sensitive to gravitational waves and even neutrinos too &ndash; astronomers are poised to fully open a completely new &ldquo;multi-messenger&rdquo; window on the universe, with many further discoveries to be made and cosmic mysteries to be solved. For example, we have already used our observations to make the first ever joint measurement of the expansion rate of the universe, using both gravitational waves and light. Our paper will appear in Nature on October 16.</p>

<p>More results will also surely follow soon. The exciting new era of multi-messenger astronomy just started with a bang.</p>

<p>This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-we-discovered-gravitational-waves-from-neutron-stars-and-why-its-such-a-huge-deal-85647" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.</p>


The discovery of gravitational waves is a new approach to study the cosmos

Rumours have been swirling for weeks that scientists have detected gravitational waves – tiny ripples in space and time – from a source other than colliding black holes. Now we can finally confirm that we’ve observed such waves produced by the violent collision of two massive, ultra-dense stars more than 100m light years from the Earth. The discovery was made on August 17 by the global network of advanced gravitational-wave interferometers – comprising the twin LIGO detectors in the US and their European cousin, Virgo, in Italy. It is hugely important, not least because it helps solve some big mysteries in astrophysics – including the cause of bright flashes of light known as “gamma-ray bursts” and perhaps even the origins of heavy elements such as gold. As a member of the LIGO scientific collaboration, I was immediately in raptures as soon as I saw the initial data. And the period that followed was definitely the most intense and sleep deprived, but also incredibly exciting, two months of my career. The announcement comes just weeks after three scientists were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their foundational work leading to the discovery of gravitational waves, first announced in February 2016. Since then, detecting gravitational waves from colliding black holes have started to feel like familiar territory – with four further such events detected. But as far as we know, colliding black holes offer purely a window on the dark side of the universe. We haven’t been able to register light from these events with any other instruments. But GW170817 – the catchy title for the event of August 17 — changes all that. That’s because the source of the waves this time was two “neutron stars” – incredibly dense stellar remnants the size of a city, each weighing more than the sun. These stars whizzed around each other at a sizeable fraction of the speed of light before merging in a cataclysmic collision that we’ve now seen shake the very fabric of space and time. Mysteries solved The cosmic concerto was just beginning, however, astronomers have long suspected that the merger of two neutron stars could be the overture to a short gamma-ray burst – an intense flash of gamma-ray light that releases more energy in a fraction of a second than the sun will pump out in ten billion years. For several decades we have observed these gamma-ray bursts, but without knowing for sure what causes them. However, just 1.7 seconds after the gravitational waves from GW170817 arrived at the Earth, NASA’s Fermi satellite observed a short burst of gamma rays in the same general region of the sky. LIGO and Virgo had found the smoking gun, and the link between neutron star collisions and short gamma-ray bursts was finally and clearly established. The combination of gravitational-wave and gamma-ray observations allowed the position of the cosmic explosion to be pinpointed to less than 30 square degrees on the sky – or about 100 times the size of the full moon. This, in turn, allowed a whole barrage of astronomical telescopes sensitive to light across the entire electromagnetic spectrum to search this small patch of sky for the aftermath of the explosion. And sure enough, this was found – in an unfashionable backwater towards the edge of a fairly unassuming galaxy called NGC4993, in the constellation of Hydra. Over the next few days and weeks, astronomers watched agog as the embers from the explosion glowed brightly and faded, beautifully matching the pattern expected for a so-called “kilonova”. This is produced when material rich in subatomic particles known as neutrons from the initial merger is ejected at great speed by the gamma-ray burst. This ploughs into the surrounding region of space, triggering the production of heavy radioactive elements. These unstable elements typically split up (decay) to a stable state by emitting radiation. This is what causes the glow of the kilonova, which we have now confirmed by mapping it out in exquisite detail. Our observations also strongly support the theory that the stable end-products of these chains of reactions include copious amounts of precious metals like gold and platinum. While we’ve suspected neutron stars to be key to producing these elements in space, that hypothesis now looks a whole lot more convincing. Indeed, the kilonova that formed from the embers of GW170817 could have produced as much gold as the entire mass of the Earth – that is 1,000 trillion tonnes. What is a binary neutron star? @Martin_astro tells us about one of the most bizarre objects in the universe. #GoldenBinary pic.twitter.com/AzHTReV8Z7 — Uni of Glasgow (@UofGlasgow) October 16, 2017 × By observing a kilonova “up close and personal” for the very first time, and seeing how well it fits into the unfolding astronomical storyboard that began with the neutron star merger, astronomers have taken a huge leap forward in our understanding of these violent cosmic events. The idea that we are all made of stardust is increasingly appreciated in popular culture – in everything from documentaries to song lyrics. But the mind-blowing concept that the gold in our wedding rings and Rolex watches is made of neutron stardust is about to catch on. Perhaps even more exciting, however, is the enormous potential now unlocked by this radical, new approach to studying the cosmos. By working together collaboratively – using instruments that operate not just across the entire spectrum of light but are sensitive to gravitational waves and even neutrinos too – astronomers are poised to fully open a completely new “multi-messenger” window on the universe, with many further discoveries to be made and cosmic mysteries to be solved. For example, we have already used our observations to make the first ever joint measurement of the expansion rate of the universe, using both gravitational waves and light. Our paper will appear in Nature on October 16. More results will also surely follow soon. The exciting new era of multi-messenger astronomy just started with a bang. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

How we discovered gravitational waves from 'neutron stars' ? and why it's such a huge deal

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