Chinese scientists working on gravitational waves. (Photo : Reuters)
China is currently seeking more researchers from around the globe to help in new gravitational waves research it is spearheading.
The Sun Yat-Sen University in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, is currently looking for experts in fields of research like gravity theory and precision measurement from different nations to contribute in its Tianqin Project. The project was launched by the university in July and is tasked with developing new technologies for use in detecting gravitational waves emanating from space, China Daily reported.
Scientists chosen for the project will reportedly receive as much as 1 million yuan ($135,000) yearly salary.
According to Sun Yat-Sen President Luo Jun, the study of gravitational waves presents a variety of challenges and that the 15 billion yuan ($2.3 billion) project serves as a feasible plan to overcome these.
Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of space-time that originate from violent astronomical events. The existence of the phenomenon is the last prediction made by Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity.
In February, researchers at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) in the United States announced the first direct observations of these waves coming from the merging of two black holes 1.3 billion light years away from Earth.
The discovery is hailed as ushering in a new age of deep-space astronomy.
Luo said that the Tianqin Project aims to launch several wave-detection satellites within the next 15 to 20 years. Researcher will also closely work with scientists from both the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ES) for the study.
Meanwhile, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) also unveiled its own gravitational wave research proposal. Dubbed Taiji, the project proposed two different plans. The first is to also launch satellites for space-based gravitational wave studies, while the second is to join ESA's ongoing Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (eLISA) project.
CAS is also spearheading another similar endeavor named "Ali" after the academy's Ali Observatory in Tibet. The Ali Project aims to detect primordial gravitational waves coming from the time of the Big Bang, Daily Galaxy reported.
