INTER UNIVERSITY CENTRE FOR
ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS, PUNE
As one drives down the road leading from the main building of Pune University
towards Aundh-Khadki road gate, one gets glimpses of massive buildings cleverly
hidden behind a row of banyan tree. IUCAA provides a centre for excellence
within the universities of India for teaching, research and development of
astronomy and astrophysics. The main aim is to develop a centre where the
students from the university department get access to the state-of-the-art
astronomical instruments, theoretical know-how, well-equipped laboratories,
excellent library, data centre and high quality computer facilities.
A major project in astronomy, named Giant Meter wave Radio Telescope (GMRT)
was started by the government of India in 1987 in Pune University forwarding
directorship to professor Jayant Naralikar from July 19th, 1998.
The city of Pune is located about 160 km south east of Bombay in the Deccan
Plateau region about 500m above the sea level. The university is situated
in the northwestern part of the city, at the foot of the Range Hill bordering
Ganeshkhind area.
IUCAA was created with the objective of serving the teaching, research
and development in astronomy and astrophysics in the university section. It
is planned with eight-fold objective.
1.
Basic research
2.
Advanced research school and workshops
3.
Visitors and associate programmes
4.
Refresher courses
5.
Helping nucleation of astronomy and astrophysics
between universities
6.
M.Sc. and Ph.D. programmes
7.
Guest observer programmes
8.
Interaction with GMRT
The complex is situated in 3 individual plots of land, which totals around
4.3 ha, which is equal to about 10 acres. The 3 distinct sections are –
1.
Akashganga – housing complex
2.
Devyani – institutional complex
3.
Aditi – auditorium
The main activity core is Devyani, while Aditi and Akashganga are supplementary.
The entire layout is such that all the spaces are within walk able distances
and hence are of great convenience. The total built up area is over 1,50,000
sq. ft. The campus is provided with facilities for indoor games such as table
tennis, carom, chess and outdoor games like tennis, cricket and badminton.
This landscaped court joins the administration, lecture halls, library,
canteen, computer rooms and staff and research rooms. Ground cover is Doob
grass and steps of unpolished granite. Four statues of known astronomers and
scientists, namely Aryabhatta, Newton, Einstein and Galileo are placed in
the Kund as a mark of respect for their contribution to the field. A Neem
tree, an apple tree and a banyan tree are additions to the Kund. At the entrance there is a violet ground cover in shape of
2 ovals with stones, rays radiating from their meeting point, symbolizing
the astronomical phenomena relating to black holes.
It is the main academic core of IUCAA and consists of 4 main blocks, each
having different activities grouped around a central court, library with adjoining
librarian’s rooms, stores, binding room etc. The most elegant of all the buildings
is the library housed in the Varahamihira block containing some 20,000 books
and subscribing to about 100 scientific journals, the IUCAA’s library is one
of the most advanced modern libraries, specializing in astronomy and astrophysics
in India. It was the first library in the country to dispense the card index
in favour of computerized databases. It is extensively used both on and off
campus, comprises of relevant literature of users from all over India. It
covers a huge area of about 450 sq. m. with an additional mezzanine space.
The computer centre and its associated astronomical data centre have also
proved to be indispensable to the astronomical research at IUCAA. The computer
centre has a network of some 30 supercomputer workstations, which can be shared
by an Ethernet link all throughout the Aryabhatta block. The data centre provides
online computer access to the world’s leading astronomical databases. In addition,
the email network provides instant connection via the internet to the international
scientific community.
They are 3 in number. One of them well equipped with a projector as teaching
through the films and slides medium is necessary part of astronomy and astrophysics.
The lecture hall open out into a common students lounge and common room, keeping
the feeling of interaction alive.
About 50 cabins, all (40 on each floor) are provided for the training faculty of the institute and the research scholars. Groups of
6-8 cabins derive their ventilation from open courtyards and are grouped
in linear fashion. Seminar rooms and conference rooms for faculty also provided
in the same wing. The director’s cabin with secretariat is to enjoy a special
position at the far end of the faculty block, a bit isolated from the rest
of the faculty.
A pendulum court based on certain astronomical principle, and opening
out into the central landscaped courtyard is designed to create interest in
the academic block. In double atrium of staff rooms a pendulum is suspended
from the roof and below is spiral shaped pit with the circular dial of cardinal
directions 0.6m below floor level. The line of swing completes one rotation
of circle in a day that shows the earth around its own axis. Inlaid stone
pattern on floor below the dome is of ancient ayurvedic origin linking the
seasons with the rashi constellations.
IUCAA’s instrumentation lab. Is set up to encourage a do-it-yourself culture
in astronomical instrumentation in the University departments and college.
From simple projects like photometers to more extensive ones like automated
14’’ telescope or research instruments like an imaging polarimeter, the IUCAA
staff in collaboration makes instruments here with interested faculty members
from the University sector. The laboratory has no optics wing and an electronics
wing to handle such projects.
Fabrication, grinding, polishing, testing facilities for large and small
mirrors are provided here.
This includes a spacious dining hall for students, faculty members and
an air-conditioned VIP dining hall for visitors, along with the adjoining
kitchen and pantry area with separate canteen area for the staff.
Rooms housing two students each with their individual toilet and a shared
balcony are grouped around a central open to air courtyard. The hostel block
is connected to the main block by means of a recreational lounge and connected
on the other side to the guest room block.
The auditorium with a capacity of about 500 persons is presently used
for seminars and convocations.
Planning is basically on a square grid and the structural systems of R.C.C.
column, beam, slab grid of 5-6m is used. The roof of the library and lecture
halls have been constructed using hollow concrete blocks and insitu beams.
Distribution and circulation of various activities on the site are appropriate.
Advance computer technology is used. Courtyards are repeated in various sizes
and dimensions throughout the institute.
External curved walls are of Khadki stone masonry, grey slate/shahabad stones, and black granite. Walls facing the courtyard are of cement plaster of smooth type with pastel shades of acrylic distemper, buff, pink and purple. External passages are of unpolished/polished shahabad, marble and cement blocks. Internal rooms are of plaster of paris with coloured distemper. Internal floors are of marble, granite and I.P.S. External ground cover Doob grass lawn, crab grass, stone paving with grass joints.
|
Spaces
|
Area (sq.m.)
|
||
| General administration | Entrance foyer |
576
|
|
| Reception area |
18
|
||
| Waiting area |
35
|
||
| Toilets |
24
|
||
| Public relations officer |
24
|
||
| Administrative office |
36
|
||
| Director's office |
50
|
||
| Project co-ordinator |
36
|
||
| Waiting area |
36
|
||
| Accounts and finance department |
72
|
||
| Finance officer |
24
|
||
| Maintenance | Maintenance department |
50
|
|
| Chief engineer |
24
|
||
| Junior engineer's office |
96
|
||
| Store and workshop |
144
|
||
| Changing and locker room |
24
|
||
| Toilets |
24
|
||
| Public department | Chief assistant |
36
|
|
| Officer's room |
72
|
||
| Waiting area |
36
|
||
| Working area |
36
|
||
| Printing press |
288
|
||
| Toilets |
24
|
||
| Central store | Security |
24
|
|
| Officer-in-charge |
72
|
||
| Waiting and supplies |
36
|
||
| Store |
500
|
||
| Computer centre |
850
|
||
| Library |
3000
|
||
| Staff-rooms | General staff-room |
346
|
|
| H.O.D. |
12
|
||
| Professors |
18
|
||
| Visiting faculty |
18
|
||
| Academic areas | Conference halls |
36
|
|
| Lecture halls (40 people) |
60
|
||
| Auditorium (120 people) |
400
|
||
| Electronic lab |
170
|
||
| Computer lab |
500
|
||
| Library, librarian's room and store |
590
|
||
| Dining area |
230
|
||
| Kichenette and pantry |
100
|
||
| Staff canteen |
15
|
||
| Lecture hall A |
185
|
||
| Lecture hall B |
65
|
||
| Lecture hall C |
96
|
||
| Faculty room |
12 each
|
||
| Canteen area | Dining hall |
432
|
|
| Kitchen |
72
|
||
| Pantry |
36
|
||
| Serving area |
36
|
||
| Store |
72
|
||
| Security |
9
|
||
| Toilets |
24
|
||
| Out-door sit-out |
300
|
||
| Hostel facility | Rooms (25 nos.) |
16 each
|
|
| Toilets |
30
|
||
| Common room |
80
|
||
Total built-up area = 8997 sq. m.
Total plot area = 43,000 sq. m.
Therefore ratio = 1:4.7
