A National Workshop on Gravitational Wave Astronomy (NWGWA) is organized by the Department of Physics, Dibrugarh University in collaboration with the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune from November 2-4, 2016. The inaugural session was held in the Indira Miri Conference Hall of the Dibrugrah University. The workshop was welcomed by Dr. Umananda Dev Goswami, Assistant Professor, Dibrugarh University and the Co-ordinator of the workshop. The inaugural address was delivered by Professor Prodeep K. Borua, Dean, Research and Development, Dibrugarh University. In his address Professor Borua mentioned about the increasing academic collaboration of Dibrugarh University with IUCAA since the National Conference on Current Issues in Cosmology, Astrophysics and High Energy Physics (CICAHEP), organized by the Department in the previous year 2015. He also mentioned about the most challenging research opportunity unfolded by the discovery of Gravitational Waves by LIGO detectors in last year after 100 years of prediction of existence of such waves by Albert Einstein in the year 1916 as consequence of his Theory of General Relativity. The Physics behind the Gravitational waves involves the deepest intuition of human mind and its detection involved the finest technological innovations, which opens up new exciting and challenging field of observational astronomy, known as the Gravitational Wave Astronomy.
Professor Tarun Souradeep, the Co-ordinator of the NWGWA 2016 and Senior Professor of IUCAA talked about the various programmes of IUCAA for the benefit of University faculties and he lauded the activity of Dibrugarh University in this direction. Chief Guest Professor Sanjeev Dhurandhar, Emeritus Professor, IUCAA, Pune, delivered the Keynote Address Lecture entitled “Einstein right once again: Gravitational Waves Detection and Astronomy”. Professor Dhurandhar is one of the most prominent figures in the field of Gravitational Wave Physics in the world and pioneer of the field in India. He explain lucidly about the Physics related with General Theory of Relativity, its correct predictions in including the Gravitational Waves and its Detection. He also explain why detection of Gravitational Waves took 100 year after its prediction.
Professor Karabi Deka Hazarika, Dean of School of Humanities and Social Science, Professor Lila Kanta Nath, Dean of School of Science and Technology, Professor M. N. Dutta, Registrar, Dibrugarh University were also present in the function.
Total 68 general participants from all over of India participated in this workshop, among them 23 participants are from outside Assam.
After this inaugural session there are two lecture sessions and one tutorial session on 2nd November. In these session lectures were delivered by Dr. Rajesh K. Nayak from IISER Kolkata, Dr Chandra Kant Mishra from IIT Madras, Chennai and Dr. Nathan K. Johnson-McDaniel from the Internationale Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangaluru. The tutorial session was conducted by Dr. Nathan.