AHMEDABAD: India is now set to join a global scientific effort to detect gravitational waves emanating from various sources in the universe. Currently, the US and some European countries are the only nations involved in this enterprise. A project titled, 'Indian Initiative in Gravitational-Wave Observations (IndIGO)', is under consideration for initiation under the current Five-Year Plan.

The Times of India
Correction from IndIGO: The proposed gravitational-wave observatory project is called LIGO-India. IndIGO, the umbrella organization, is a consortium of Indian scientists working in the field of gravitational-wave astronomy.

Ahmedabad: India is now set to join a global scientific effort to detect gravitational waves emanating from various sources in the universe.Currently,the US and some European countries are the only nations involved in this enterprise.A project titled,Indian Initiative in Gravitational-Wave Observations (IndIGO),is under consideration for initiation under the current Five-Year Plan...

The Times of India

Correction from IndIGO: The proposed gravitational-wave observatory project is called LIGO-India. IndIGO, the umbrella organization, is a consortium of Indian scientists working in the field of gravitational-wave astronomy.

Applications are invited for one EADS Postdoctoral Prize Fellowship at the Astrophysical Relativity group of the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences - Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (ICTS-TIFR) in Bangalore, India. The fellowship is part of the International Teaching and Research Chair titled “Mathematics of Complex Systems,” funded by the EADS Foundation.

In order to strengthen the relationship and cooperation with India and Nepal, and taking into account the successful research activities already in place with the above mentioned countries in the framework of some specific scientific areas, the University of Padova announces a new initiative aimed at promoting international research mobility and cross-border research collaboration with advanced research groups coming from India and Nepal.

The program offers 4 grants to young post-doc candidates from India and Nepal wishing to spend
a period of 12 months at University of Padova for study and research activities in all the scientific
areas related to its Departments (see full list here).

Applications are now invited for the Summer School on Numerical Relativity organized by the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (ICTS-TIFR), Bangalore. The school is organized as part of the ICTS Program on Numerical Relativity and will be held from 2013 June 10 to 21 in the ICTS-TIFR facility located in the campus of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

International Journal of Modern Physics D has published a special issue on Gravitational Wave Detection and Fundamental Physics in Space. The issue is based on the proceedings on the Fifth international ASTROD symposium on laser astrodynamics, space tests of relativity and gravitational-wave astronomy, that was held at Raman Research Institute, Bangalore during July 11 - 13, 2012.

The special issue can be accessed here: http://www.worldscientific.com/toc/ijmpd/22/01

LIGO Laboratory at California Institute of Technology hosts a 10-week summer student research program every year, called the LIGO-REU Program. Considering the imminent possibility of the LIGO-India project, LIGO has graciously agreed to host a few talented and motivated undergraduate students from Indian institutions, pre-selected by IndIGO, as part of this program.

Bala R. Iyer, theoretical physicist at Raman Research Institute and chairperson of the IndIGO consortium has been elected Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS). Professor Iyer is one of the pioneers in modeling the dynamics and gravitational waves from the inspiral of compact-object binaries (black holes and neutron stars) employing post-Newtonian theory. Searches for gravitational wave from inspiralling compact binaries (which are among the most promising astrophysical sources for the first detection of gravitational waves) crucially depend on the theoretical ‘templates’ of the expected signals, as computed by post-Newtonian theory and numerical relativity. Professor Iyer also played a leading role in building an active community of gravitational-wave physicists in India and is a key organizer of the proposed LIGO-India initiative.

Two postdoctoral fellowships are being offered at the Astrophysical Relativity group of the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS) in Bangalore, India. The fellowships are offered in the area of gravitational-wave- physics and astronomy, including analytical- and numerical relativity. Candidates are expected to have a PhD in Physics or Astrophysics with an excellent track record. Although PhDs in gravitational-wave physics, relativistic astrophysics, general relativity etc. are preferred, candidates from other areas with strong analytical and numerical skills will also be considered.

Institution: Indian Institute of Science Education and Research
Thiruvananthapuram, India (IISER-TVM)
Deadline: October 1, 2012
Salary: Rs. 22,000 – Rs. 24,000 per month plus 20% House Rent Allowance
Contact: Archana Pai (archana (at) iisertvm.ac.in)