Pune: LIGO, Virgo and KAGRA gravitational-wave observatories have signed a memorandum of agreement to move towards International Gravitational Wave Network, a unified global consortium aimed at improving coordination and collaboration in gravitational-wave research.The agreement was signed during a LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration meeting at Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) in Pune last week. Hosted in India for the first time, the meeting brought together more than 200 researchers from all over the world, with others joining remotely.IUCAA hosted the meeting because of its work in gravitational-wave astronomy and its role in developing LIGO-India. A statement from IUCAA said the agreement marks the beginning of a process to establish a single global consortium for gravitational-wave observatories. The move will harmonise the structures of LIGO, Virgo and KAGRA and enable better coordination and, ultimately, better science.LSC spokesperson Stephen Fairhurst, Virgo spokesperson Marie Anne Bizouard, KAGRA spokesperson Masaki Ando, EGO director Massimo Carpinelli and LIGO Laboratory executive director David H. Reitze signed the agreement. KAGRA Observatory principal investigator Takaaki Kajita signed remotely.The LVK meeting provided a platform for researchers to discuss progress in gravitational-wave research and development, make short- and long-term plans and address collaboration-related issues.IUCAA is one of four lead institutions building the LIGO-India detector in Hingoli. LIGO-India is expected to join the global network of gravitational-wave detectors by 2030. Its integration into the international network will add to India’s participation in global gravitational-wave research.The formation of IGWN will involve a transition from its collaboration structure towards a unified organisation.
