Pune: GMRT to get supercomputing system developed by C-DAC; Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate
Pune: GMRT to get supercomputing system developed by C-DAC; Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate
The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) in Pune has developed a supercomputer system for the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT), the world’s largest radio telescope of its kind. Located in Khodad, GMRT is established by the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA), part of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), under the Department of Atomic Energy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Pune on September 26 and 27 to inaugurate various projects via video conference, including this new supercomputing system. An anonymous NCRA official confirmed that the GMRT will receive a supercomputing system from C-DAC, which will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister.
C-DAC Pune has commissioned a ‘1 Peta FLOP’ Param Rudra supercomputing system equipped with GPUs. This advanced system will enhance GMRT’s sensitivity to low and mid-radio frequencies, enabling more detailed research in radio astronomy and the interstellar medium.
The GMRT is one of the most significant low-frequency radio observatories globally. It consists of 30 antennas, each 45 meters in diameter, spread over a 30-kilometer area, approximately 80 kilometers from Pune. This network of antennas works with advanced electronics and computing to process the data collected.
The GMRT was conceptualized in the late 1980s, became operational in the 1990s, and was opened to the global astronomy community in 2002. With the new supercomputing system, the GMRT aims to further its contributions to the field of astronomy.
