India is set to be a part of the world’s largest radio telescope project known as the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO). The country’s government has given its initial approval for their involvement, with a financial sanction of Rs 1,250 crore. The signing and ratification of the SKAO convention are imperative for formal membership.
About the SKAO
The SKAO is an intergovernmental organization that aims to construct and operate state-of-the-art radio telescopes. It is headquartered at the Jodrell Bank Observatory in the United Kingdom. The SKAO will not consist of a single telescope; instead, it will be an array of thousands of antennas. These will be installed in remote, radio-quiet locations in South Africa and Australia, and will act as one large unit to observe and study celestial phenomena. One of the key areas of focus for the SKAO is the examination of gravitational waves. Participating countries include the UK, Australia, South Africa, Canada, China, France, India, Italy, and Germany.
The Role of India in the SKAO
India, through institutions like the Pune-based National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA), has been deeply involved in the development of the SKAO project since the 1990s. The primary contribution of India to the SKAO is in the development and operation of the Telescope Manager element, essentially the software that controls the entire operation of the telescope.
Understanding Radio Telescopes
A radio telescope is a special type of antenna and receiver system used to detect and collect radio waves emitted by celestial objects. These radio waves are EM (Electromagnetic) waves that have wavelengths between 1 millimeter and 100 kilometers. Unlike optical telescopes, radio telescopes can function both during the day and night. They are used to study phenomena like the formation and evolution of stars and galaxies, black holes, interstellar medium, planets and moons in our solar system, and even the search for extraterrestrial life.
Significant Radio Telescopes Around the World
Examples of major radio telescopes include the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (India), SARAS 3 (India), Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array (ALMA) (Atacama Desert, Chile), and Five-hundred-metre Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) (China). The GMRT, in June 2023, played a pivotal role in the first-ever detection of nano-hertz gravitational waves, emphasizing its importance in cutting-edge astronomical research.
The Concept of Gravitational Waves
Gravitational waves are essentially ripples or vibrations in space-time fabric. The analogy often used is that of a pebble dropped in a pond – the ripples it causes are similar to gravitational waves, except these propagate through the fabric of the universe. Albert Einstein forecasted the existence of these waves in his theory of general relativity back in 1916. Gravitational wave research, evidenced by the 2017 Nobel Prize awarded for the detection using the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO), holds immense potential for scientific breakthroughs.
Recently, India approved the construction of the third LIGO node in Hingoli district of Maharashtra. This update concludes with two examples of previous year questions asked in the UPSC Civil Services Examination related to the topic at hand, showcasing the relevance and applicability of this knowledge.