Today's Headlines - 21 July 2023
Unlock mysteries of the cosmos
GS Paper - 3 (Space Technology)
The United States and India have jointly unveiled plans to construct a Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) in India, a major scientific alliance aimed at unravelling the mysteries of the universe. The mega astronomy project, projected to cost Rs 2,600 crore, will study gravitational waves, which are often described as changes in the ‘fabric’ of the universe. The new observatory was among the US-India partnership initiatives.
More about the observatory
The LIGO observatory in India will be built in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district, near the city of Aundha.
The government has acquired 174 acres of land to set up the observatory, which is expected to be operational by 2030.
This will be the third LIGO site in the world. The first two are both in the US, one in the state of Washington and the other in Louisiana.
Other similar instruments that detect gravitational waves include KAGRA in Japan and Virgo in Italy, both of which are smaller than LIGO and have 3-km arms.
The LIGO-India project is a joint collaboration between the Government of India’s departments of atomic energy (DAE) and science and technology (DST), the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the United States, and several other national and international research and academic institutions.
In India, the four institutions leading the project include IUCAA, Gandhinagar’s Institute of Plasma Research (IPR), Indore’s Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT), and the Directorate of Construction, Services & Estate Management (DCSEM) under the DAE.
Why are gravitational waves important?
Gravitational waves are invisible ripples in spacetime that travel at the speed of light. They were first detected in September 2015 by both the LIGO observatories in the US. Before that, most inferences about the universe were based on observations of electromagnetic energy.
The study of gravitational waves dates back to 1916, when Albert Einstein proposed their existence in his theory of general relativity.
He suggested that massive objects in the sky, such as black holes or neutron stars, can disrupt space-time due to the emission of waves that would be ejected from the source.
Studying gravitational waves can help uncover the history of the universe and understand many more complex mechanisms.
For example, earlier this year, Indian scientists proposed that gravitational waves emitted from black holes could help determine the rate of expansion of the universe.
They suggested that the multiple gravitational waves released from binary black holes reach Earth at various time stamps, which can be used to calculate the expansion rate of the universe.
How does LIGO work?
LIGO is essentially a massive L-shaped instrument, with each arm being 4 km long. Each arm encases a steel vacuum tube called an interferometer.
Laser pulses are shot through each arm and bounced back off a mirror at each end. A detector monitors the timing and movement of these pulses.
When a gravitational wave passes through the detector, the pulses will not return on time. Scientists can use this and other such signals to study gravitational waves. LIGO is highly sensitive and can detect gravitational waves from distant galaxies, hundreds of millions of light years away.
For instance, the first gravitational wave observed by LIGO in 2015, according to the estimates of scientists, was caused by the collision of two black holes about 1.3 billion years ago.
#upsc #news #mysteries #cosmos #Spacetechnology #Laser #Interferometer #Gravitational #Observatory #LIGO #astronomy #Louisiana #NSF #KAGRA #Japan #IUCAA #IPR #DAE #DST #RRCAT #DCSEM #electromagneticenergy #galaxies
Unlock mysteries of the cosmos
GS Paper - 3 (Space Technology)
The United States and India have jointly unveiled plans to construct a Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) in India, a major scientific alliance aimed at unravelling the mysteries of the universe. The mega astronomy project, projected to cost Rs 2,600 crore, will study gravitational waves, which are often described as changes in the ‘fabric’ of the universe. The new observatory was among the US-India partnership initiatives.
More about the observatory
The LIGO observatory in India will be built in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district, near the city of Aundha.
The government has acquired 174 acres of land to set up the observatory, which is expected to be operational by 2030.
This will be the third LIGO site in the world. The first two are both in the US, one in the state of Washington and the other in Louisiana.
Other similar instruments that detect gravitational waves include KAGRA in Japan and Virgo in Italy, both of which are smaller than LIGO and have 3-km arms.
The LIGO-India project is a joint collaboration between the Government of India’s departments of atomic energy (DAE) and science and technology (DST), the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the United States, and several other national and international research and academic institutions.
In India, the four institutions leading the project include IUCAA, Gandhinagar’s Institute of Plasma Research (IPR), Indore’s Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT), and the Directorate of Construction, Services & Estate Management (DCSEM) under the DAE.
Why are gravitational waves important?
Gravitational waves are invisible ripples in spacetime that travel at the speed of light. They were first detected in September 2015 by both the LIGO observatories in the US. Before that, most inferences about the universe were based on observations of electromagnetic energy.
The study of gravitational waves dates back to 1916, when Albert Einstein proposed their existence in his theory of general relativity.
He suggested that massive objects in the sky, such as black holes or neutron stars, can disrupt space-time due to the emission of waves that would be ejected from the source.
Studying gravitational waves can help uncover the history of the universe and understand many more complex mechanisms.
For example, earlier this year, Indian scientists proposed that gravitational waves emitted from black holes could help determine the rate of expansion of the universe.
They suggested that the multiple gravitational waves released from binary black holes reach Earth at various time stamps, which can be used to calculate the expansion rate of the universe.
How does LIGO work?
LIGO is essentially a massive L-shaped instrument, with each arm being 4 km long. Each arm encases a steel vacuum tube called an interferometer.
Laser pulses are shot through each arm and bounced back off a mirror at each end. A detector monitors the timing and movement of these pulses.
When a gravitational wave passes through the detector, the pulses will not return on time. Scientists can use this and other such signals to study gravitational waves. LIGO is highly sensitive and can detect gravitational waves from distant galaxies, hundreds of millions of light years away.
For instance, the first gravitational wave observed by LIGO in 2015, according to the estimates of scientists, was caused by the collision of two black holes about 1.3 billion years ago.
#upsc #news #mysteries #cosmos #Spacetechnology #Laser #Interferometer #Gravitational #Observatory #LIGO #astronomy #Louisiana #NSF #KAGRA #Japan #IUCAA #IPR #DAE #DST #RRCAT #DCSEM #electromagneticenergy #galaxies
Today's Headlines - 02 September 2023
Chandrayaan-3 confirms Sulphur in lunar surface
GS Paper - 3 (Space Technology)
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said the Pragyan rover's Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope confirmed the presence of sulphur in the lunar surface near the south pole, through the first-ever in-situ measurements. Pragyan is a lunar rover that forms part of Chandrayaan-3, the lunar mission developed by ISRO.
More about discovery
The Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument onboard Chandrayaan-3 Rover has made the first-ever in-situ measurements on the elemental composition of the lunar surface near the South Pole.
These in-situ measurements confirm the presence of sulphur (S) in the region unambiguously, something that was not feasible by the instruments onboard the orbiters.
LIBS is a scientific technique that analyses the composition of materials by exposing them to intense laser pulses.
A high-energy laser pulse is focused onto the surface of a material, such as a rock or soil. The laser pulse generates extremely hot and localised plasma.
The collected plasma light is spectrally resolved and detected by detectors such as Charge Coupled Devices. Since each element emits a characteristic set of wavelengths of light when it is in a plasma state, the elemental composition of the material is determined.
Chandrayaan-3 successfully executed a soft landing on the moon on 23 August 2023, making India the fourth nation in the world to achieve a successful lunar landing.
India also marked a milestone by becoming the first country to land near the South Pole, an area believed to harbour significant amounts of water ice.
ISRO on 29 August 2023 said preliminary analyses, graphically represented, have unveiled the presence of aluminium (Al), sulphur (S), calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), chromium (Cr), and titanium (Ti) on the lunar surface.
Further measurements have revealed the presence of manganese (Mn), silicon (Si), and oxygen (O). A thorough investigation regarding the presence of hydrogen is underway.
Flashback
The LIBS instrument is developed at the Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems (LEOS) / ISRO, Bengaluru.
LEOS, situated at Peenya Industrial Estate, Bengaluru, is one of the vital units of ISRO.
It deals with the design, development, and production of attitude sensors for all low Earth orbit (LEO), geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) and interplanetary missions.
It develops and delivers optical systems for remote sensing and meteorological payloads.
#upsc #news #headline #chandryaan #sulphur #lunar #surface #spacetechnology #ISRO #pragyan #laser #spectroscope #southpole #situ #measurment #rover #LIBS #elemental #composition #scientific #technique #materials #laserpulse #rock #soil #plasma #wavelengths #light #chargedevices #softlanding #milestone #waterice #aluminium #calcium #iron #chromium #titanium #silicon #oxygen #manganese #hydrogen #LEOS #GEO #peenya
Chandrayaan-3 confirms Sulphur in lunar surface
GS Paper - 3 (Space Technology)
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said the Pragyan rover's Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope confirmed the presence of sulphur in the lunar surface near the south pole, through the first-ever in-situ measurements. Pragyan is a lunar rover that forms part of Chandrayaan-3, the lunar mission developed by ISRO.
More about discovery
The Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument onboard Chandrayaan-3 Rover has made the first-ever in-situ measurements on the elemental composition of the lunar surface near the South Pole.
These in-situ measurements confirm the presence of sulphur (S) in the region unambiguously, something that was not feasible by the instruments onboard the orbiters.
LIBS is a scientific technique that analyses the composition of materials by exposing them to intense laser pulses.
A high-energy laser pulse is focused onto the surface of a material, such as a rock or soil. The laser pulse generates extremely hot and localised plasma.
The collected plasma light is spectrally resolved and detected by detectors such as Charge Coupled Devices. Since each element emits a characteristic set of wavelengths of light when it is in a plasma state, the elemental composition of the material is determined.
Chandrayaan-3 successfully executed a soft landing on the moon on 23 August 2023, making India the fourth nation in the world to achieve a successful lunar landing.
India also marked a milestone by becoming the first country to land near the South Pole, an area believed to harbour significant amounts of water ice.
ISRO on 29 August 2023 said preliminary analyses, graphically represented, have unveiled the presence of aluminium (Al), sulphur (S), calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), chromium (Cr), and titanium (Ti) on the lunar surface.
Further measurements have revealed the presence of manganese (Mn), silicon (Si), and oxygen (O). A thorough investigation regarding the presence of hydrogen is underway.
Flashback
The LIBS instrument is developed at the Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems (LEOS) / ISRO, Bengaluru.
LEOS, situated at Peenya Industrial Estate, Bengaluru, is one of the vital units of ISRO.
It deals with the design, development, and production of attitude sensors for all low Earth orbit (LEO), geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) and interplanetary missions.
It develops and delivers optical systems for remote sensing and meteorological payloads.
#upsc #news #headline #chandryaan #sulphur #lunar #surface #spacetechnology #ISRO #pragyan #laser #spectroscope #southpole #situ #measurment #rover #LIBS #elemental #composition #scientific #technique #materials #laserpulse #rock #soil #plasma #wavelengths #light #chargedevices #softlanding #milestone #waterice #aluminium #calcium #iron #chromium #titanium #silicon #oxygen #manganese #hydrogen #LEOS #GEO #peenya