India Plans to Build Observatory as Part of LIGO Project to Study Gravitational Waves

Indian scientists are planning to contribute directly to the U.S.-based LIGO project. They plan to build a ground-based observatory, to complement and increase the capability of the two advanced laser interferometry instruments in Washington State and Louisiana that are studying gravitational waves. India has received support from the U.S. LIGO project and the National Science Foundation. Indian experts have studied sites, and found 22 that meet the standards of low seismic activity and low background noise levels, which are able to host the delicate instruments. Drawings for the required infrastructure have been completed by the Institute of Plasma Physics.

Being able to triangulate observations from three or more points that are significant distances apart will improve the resolution by about 100 times from the area of the sky the detectors can cover, the scientists report. In this regard, there are LIGO observatories operating in Europe and Japan, which will be upgraded to contribute to the science. An observatory in the Southern Hemisphere would also increase the science return from the project, by broadening the field of view.

A table-top experiment for the Indian project has been set up, said Ziauddin Khan, the project manager of the LIGO-INDIA preparatory group. The Raja Ramana Centre for Advanced Technology will develop state-of-the-art lasers and optics for the project.