**Astronomers detect gravitational wave hum using India’s uGMRT telescope**
– A global team of astronomers, including scientists from seven Indian institutes, have detected the low-pitch “hum” of gravitational waves using India’s upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (uGMRT).
– The gravitational waves are believed to have originated from the merger of super-massive black holes in the early universe.
– The discovery, reported in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, was made after 15 years of observations by the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) and the Indian Pulsar Timing Array (InPTA).
– The uGMRT telescope played a crucial role in collecting and correcting the signal to increase its accuracy.
– The detection of the hum could provide valuable insights into the nature of merging super-massive black holes.
**Background on gravitational waves:**
– Gravitational waves were first proposed by Albert Einstein in 1916 and were directly detected in 2016 by the LIGO observatory.
– However, the waves detected by LIGO were of a higher frequency compared to the ones registered by NANOGrav and InPTA.
– The low-frequency gravitational waves detected by uGMRT are caused by merging super-massive black holes.
**Significance of the discovery:**
– The detection of the gravitational wave hum could help scientists learn more about physical reality and answer questions about the nature of merging super-massive black holes.
– The uGMRT telescope’s sensitivity and accuracy allowed scientists to separate the faint gravitational wave signal from other disturbances.
– The discovery opens up new possibilities for studying the universe and expanding our understanding of gravitational waves.
**Discovery in a nutshell:**
– Gravitational waves originate from the merger of super-massive black holes.
– When black holes merge, they emit gravitational waves that overlap and form a background hum.
– Pulsars, rapidly rotating dead stars, are used to keep accurate time and detect changes caused by gravitational waves.
– The next steps involve a deeper understanding of the current signals and detecting individual merging binaries to predict the expansion rate of the universe.
Overall, the detection of the gravitational wave hum using India’s uGMRT telescope is a significant breakthrough in the field of astronomy. The findings provide valuable insights into the nature of merging super-massive black holes and pave the way for further research on gravitational waves.
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