Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT)

About Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT):

• GMRT is a low-frequency radio telescope that helps investigate various radio astrophysical problems ranging from nearby solar systems to the edge of the observable universe.
• Location: It is located at Khodad, 80 km north of Pune, Maharashtra.
• It is a project of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), operating under the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR).
• The telescope is operated by the National Centre of Radio Astrophysics (NCRA). NCRA is a part of the TIFR, Mumbai.
• It consists of 30 fully- steerable dish-type antennas of 45-meter diameter each, spread over a 25-km region.
• GMRT is presently the world’s largest radio telescope operating at meter wavelength.
• It was recently upgraded with new receivers, after which it is also known as the upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (uGMRT).

What are Pulsars?

• Pulsars are rotating neutron stars observed to have pulses of radiation at very regular intervals that typically range from milliseconds to seconds.
• Pulsars have very strong magnetic fields which funnel jets of particles out along the two magnetic poles.
• These accelerated particles produce very powerful beams of light. 
• Often, the magnetic field is not aligned with the spin axis, so those beams of particles and light are swept around as the star rotates. 
• Pulsars are among the few celestial objects that emit circular polarised light.

 

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Q1) What is a Neutron Star?

Neutron stars are formed when a massive star runs out of fuel and collapses. The very central region of the star – the core – collapses, crushing together every proton and electron into a neutron. If the core of the collapsing star is between about 1 and 3 solar masses, these newly-created neutrons can stop the collapse, leaving behind a neutron star.

Source: Pune astronomers detect two new millisecond pulsars