Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics

{{Short description|Institute for astronomical sciences in Pune, India}}

{{Infobox university

| name = Inter University Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics

| image_name = IUCAA logo.svg

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| motto =

| head_label = Director

| head = R. Srianand

| type = Research Institute

| established = {{start date|1988}}

| city = Pune

| state = Maharashtra

| country = India

| undergrad =

| postgrad =

| faculty =

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| website = {{official URL}}

| logo =

}}

The Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) is an autonomous institution set up by the University Grants Commission of India to promote nucleation and growth of active groups in astronomy and astrophysics in Indian universities. IUCAA is located in the University of Pune campus next to the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, which operates the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope. IUCAA has a campus designed by Indian architect Charles Correa.{{cite web|last=Dadhich|first=Naresh|title=From Sand Dunes To IUCAA: A Mirage |url=http://www.iucaa.ernet.in/~nkd/sand.htmln.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030713205609/http://www.iucaa.ernet.in/~nkd/sand.htmln.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=13 July 2003|publisher=IUCAA|access-date=5 September 2010}}

History

After the founding of the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) by Prof. Govind Swarup, a common research facility for astronomy and astrophysics was proposed by Dr. Yash Pal of the planning commission. Working on this idea, astrophysicist Prof. Jayant Narlikar, along with Ajit Kembhavi and Naresh Dadhich set up IUCAA within the Pune University campus in 1988.{{cite news|title=Kembhavi to head astronomy, astrophysics centre in Pune|url=http://www.hindu.com/2009/06/08/stories/2009060856231300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090611124707/http://www.hindu.com/2009/06/08/stories/2009060856231300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 June 2009|access-date=28 December 2015|newspaper=The Hindu|date=8 June 2009}}

File:Entrance of IUCAA.jpg

In 2002, IUCAA initiated a nationwide campaign to popularize astronomy and astrophysics in colleges and universities. IUCAA arranged visitor programs for universities in Nagpur (Maharashtra), Thiruvalla (Kerala), Siliguri (West Bengal) and others, along with a tie-up with the Ferguson college, Pune.{{cite news|last=Chandawarkar|first=Rahul|title=IUCAA aims sky-high via campaign|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2002-11-19/pune/27288495_1_iucaa-astronomy-and-astrophysics-narlikar|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111231040721/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2002-11-19/pune/27288495_1_iucaa-astronomy-and-astrophysics-narlikar|url-status=dead|archive-date=31 December 2011|access-date=5 September 2010|newspaper=The Times of India|date=19 November 2002}}

File:2064 aryabhata-crp.jpg on the grounds of IUCAA, Pune]]In 2004, IUCAA set up the Muktangan Vidnyan Shodhika (Exlporatorium), a science popularization initiative, with a grant from the Pu La Deshpande foundation. The center is open to all school students from Pune.{{cite news|last=Dhavse|first=Rasika|title=The people's astronomer |url=http://www.indiatogether.org/2004/jan/edu-astronomy.htm|access-date=5 September 2010|newspaper=India Together|date=January 2004}} IUCAA was declared the nodal center for India to coordinate the year-long celebrations for the International Year of Astronomy.{{cite news|title=Science and Technology Dept's tableau to focus on astronomy|url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/008200901240951.htm|access-date=5 September 2010|newspaper=The Hindu|date=24 January 2009}}

IUCAA was headed for its first decade by Prof. Jayant Narlikar, followed by Prof. Naresh Dadhich and Prof. Ajit Kembhavi. From September 2015, the Director is Prof. Somak Raychaudhury.{{cite news | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Raychaudhury-is-IUCAAs-new-director/articleshow/48752689.cms | title=Raychaudhury is IUCAA's new director | date=1 September 2015 | newspaper=The Times of India | access-date=4 September 2018}}

Research

Scientists at IUCAA carry out research in a wide range of areas in astronomy, astrophysics and physics. IUCAA has active research groups in fields like classical and quantum gravity, cosmology, gravitational waves, optical and radio astronomy, Solar System physics and instrumentation.{{cite web|title=Research|url=http://www.iucaa.ernet.in/Research.html|publisher=IUCAA|access-date=5 September 2010|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100611140022/http://www.iucaa.ernet.in/Research.html|archive-date=11 June 2010}}

=Facilities=

IUCAA, along with Persistent Systems, Pune, operates the Virtual Observatory project. The observatory provides users access to raw observational data along with advanced processing software designed by engineers at Persistent.{{cite news|last=TNN|title=IUCAA unveils country’s first virtual observatory|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/33606630.cms|access-date=5 September 2010|newspaper=Times of India|date=7 Jan 2003}}

IUCAA also maintains Girawali Observatory which is about 80 km from Pune city, off Pune-Nasik Road and near the historical Junnar town. In addition to catering to the needs of astronomers in general, this observatory is unique in setting aside a certain amount of time specifically for training as well as observational proposals arising from Indian Universities. The telescope has a primary mirror of diameter 2 meter, f/3 and a secondary of 60 cm, f/10. IUCAA Faint Object Spectrograph & Camera (IFOSC) is the main instrument available on the telescope's direct Cassegrain port currently.{{cite web|title=IUCAA Girawali Observatory|url=http://www.iucaa.ernet.in/~itp/|publisher=IUCAA|access-date=5 September 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100821103201/http://www.iucaa.ernet.in/%7Eitp/|archive-date=21 August 2010|url-status=usurped}}

IUCAA, along with the Raman Research Institute and Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore, declared a proposal to take a ten percent stake in the Large Telescope Project, which would allow Indian astronomers access to major upcoming observatories such as the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT), the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) and the European Extremely Large Telescope (EELT).{{cite news|last=TNN|title=IUCAA may have 10% stake in int'l telescope project Read more: IUCAA may have 10% stake in int'l telescope project|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-08-06/pune/28173239_1_iucaa-large-telescope-project-giant-magellan-telescope|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103085724/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-08-06/pune/28173239_1_iucaa-large-telescope-project-giant-magellan-telescope|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 November 2012|access-date=5 September 2010|newspaper=The Times of India|date=6 Aug 2009}}

Science popularization

The SciPop initiative was set up by Prof. Jayant Narlikar along with N. C. Rana and Arvind Paranjpe. SciPop, based out of the Muktangan Vidnyan Shodhika building, provides educational facilities for school students, teachers and amateur astronomers.{{cite web|title=IUCAA Scipop|url=http://www.iucaa.ernet.in/~scipop/geninfo.html|publisher=IUCAA|access-date=5 September 2010|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100429073922/http://www.iucaa.ernet.in/~scipop/geninfo.html|archive-date=29 April 2010}} IUCAA organizes the open Science day program every year on 28 February, in which members of the general public can visit the institute to take a look at ongoing research and contemporary work happening elsewhere in the world. IUCAA was one of the few Indian research institutes to start a science popularization program, and other organisations such as the Indian Institute of Science, Indian Institute of Astrophysics, and TIFR, Mumbai started similar public outreach programmes in the wake of its success.

People

File:IUCAA 3 Directors (Naresh Dadhich, Jayant Vishnu Narlikar, Ajit Kembhavi).jpg

Notable people associated with IUCAA:

Jayant Narlikar, founding director
Naresh Dadhich, physicist, Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, 2nd Director
Ajit Kembhavi, 3rd Director
Thanu Padmanabhan, Padma Shri award-winning astrophysicist
Somak Raychaudhury, 4th Director
Sanjeev Dhurandhar, gravitational-wave physicist and science advisor to the IndIGO consortium
Raghunathan Srianand, astrophysicist and Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar laureate{{Cite web |url=http://www.iucaa.ernet.in/research.html#Faculty |title=Academic Members-R. Srianand |date=2017-11-01 |website=Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics |access-date=2017-11-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100611140022/http://www.iucaa.ernet.in/Research.html#Faculty |archive-date=11 June 2010 |url-status=usurped }}
Kanak Saha, astrophysicist and Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar laureate.