Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) (GS Paper 3, Science & Technology)
Context
- Indian researchers at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) in Bengaluru have developed a new online tool to create a comprehensive star catalogue for the Adaptive Optics System (AOS) of the upcoming Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT).
Key Features of Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT)
About
- International Collaboration: The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) is an ambitious international project located at Mauna Kea in Hawaii, involving India, the US, Canada, China, and Japan.
- Indian Involvement: India plays a crucial role in the TMT project, with the India TMT Center at IIA leading the national collaboration.
- Advanced Observatory: TMT is designed to provide unprecedented resolution and sensitivity with its massive 30-meter primary mirror, advanced adaptive optics system, and state-of-the-art instruments.
- Future of Astronomy: The TMT, along with the Giant Magellan Telescope and the European Southern Observatory’s Extremely Large Telescope, represents the future of ground-based astronomy.
Primary Goals
- Early Universe: The TMT aims to study the formation and evolution of the first galaxies and stars after the Big Bang.
- Galaxies: It seeks to investigate the formation, structure, and evolution of galaxies across cosmic time.
- Black Holes: The TMT will study the relationship between supermassive black holes and their host galaxies.
- Stars and Planets: It aims to investigate the formation of stars and planetary systems.
- Exoplanets: The TMT will characterise exoplanets and study their atmospheres.
Adaptive Optics System (AOS)
- NFIRAOS: The Narrow Field Infrared Adaptive Optics System (NFIRAOS) uses deformable mirrors and laser guide stars to correct atmospheric turbulence, enhancing image resolution.
- Laser Guide Stars: The system will project up to nine lasers into the sky to create artificial guide stars. However, atmospheric turbulence affects these laser beams, necessitating correction from three Natural Guide Stars (NGS).
- New Online Tool: Developed by Indian researchers, this automated tool creates a catalogue of Near Infrared (NIR) stars by computing expected NIR magnitudes from various optical sky surveys.
Other Major Telescopes
- PRATUSH Telescope
- James Webb Telescope
- Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO)
- Kodaikanal Solar Observatory
- Euclid Mission for Dark Matter and Dark Energy
- Tokyo Atacama Observatory
- 3-D Map of the Universe
Other Similar Projects India is Part of
- CERN: European Council for Nuclear Research, including the "God particle" project.
- CMS: Experiment that discovered the Higgs Boson, or ‘God particle’.
- ALICE: Created conditions similar to those at the time of the Big Bang.
- FAIR: International Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research, studying the building blocks of matter and the evolution of the Universe.
- NUSTAR: Nuclear Structure, Astrophysics and Reactions.
- CBM: Compressed Baryonic Matter.
- PANDA: Antiproton Annihilation at Darmstadt.
Conclusion
- The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project marks a significant milestone in international scientific collaboration, promising groundbreaking advancements in our understanding of the universe.
- With India's active participation, particularly through the development of advanced tools for the Adaptive Optics System, the project exemplifies the global effort to push the boundaries of astronomical research.
- The TMT's ambitious goals, from studying the early universe to characterizing exoplanets, highlight its potential to unlock new insights into the cosmos.
- As ground-based astronomy evolves with such cutting-edge projects, the collaborative spirit and technological innovations driving the TMT underscore the importance of continued investment in scientific research and international cooperation.
