Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT)

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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.

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