The Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) Aditya L1 solar probe mission has achieved a significant milestone by capturing its first high-energy X-ray solar flare. The flare was observed on October 29, 2023 by the High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS), one of seven science instruments on board.
Aditya-L1 mission: HEL1OS captures first high-energy X-ray view of solar flares
🔸During its first observing period from approximately 12:00 to 22:00 UT on October 29, 2023, the High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS) on board Aditya-L1 recorded… pic.twitter.com/X6R9zhdwM5
— ISRO (@isro)
November 7, 2023
The feat of imaging the first high-energy solar flare by HEL1OS is a major breakthrough for ISRO and the Indian scientific community, as it marks the first time that an Indian spacecraft has captured such high-resolution solar flare data.
The data collected by HEL1OS will provide valuable insights into the nature of solar flares and their impact on Earth’s climate and the space environment, while paving the way for better prediction of solar events and improved protection of our space assets.
What is HEL1OS on Aditya-L1 solar mission?
Image: UR Rao Satellite Centre, ISRO
The High Energy Orbital X-ray Spectrometer L1 (HEL1OS), pronounced Helios, is ISRO’s hard X-ray spectrometer on the Aditya-L1 solar mission. It works in a wide X-ray energy band of 10-150 keV.
It contains two different types of detectors: cadmium telluride (CdTe) and cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) to capture solar X-rays in the energy range of interest. In order to achieve the targeted spectral sensitivity, two CdTe detectors will capture in the 10-40 keV energy band, and two CZT detectors will capture in the 20-150 keV energy band.
The HEL1OS spectrometer is specially designed to record high-resolution X-ray spectra of solar flares, providing detailed information about the energetic processes that take place during these events.
What are solar flares?Solar flares are sudden bursts of energy released from the Sun’s atmosphere. They are the most powerful events in our solar system and can release as much energy as millions of megatons of TNT. Solar flares can cause a variety of disturbances in Earth’s space environment, including radio blackouts, GPS signal disruptions, and aurora borealis. They can also pose a threat to astronauts and spacecraft. Explanation: What is a solar flare? |
Significance of HEL1OS
Image: ISRO
According to ISRO, the data collected by HEL1OS is significant because it will help scientists to:
- Study explosive energy release, acceleration, and electron transport during solar flares using rapid measurements and high-resolution spectra.
- Quasiperiodic pulsations (QPPs) of hard X-rays during solar flares to understand their connection to particle acceleration mechanisms.
- Study of the evolution of the threshold energy between thermal and non-thermal emission as a function of flare evolution and its relationship with the spectral parameters of the accelerated electron distribution (using high spectral resolution measurements).
Also Read: Which layer of the Sun will Aditya L1 study?
Aditya L1 mission
Image: ISRO
The Aditya L1 mission is India’s first mission dedicated to the study of the Sun. The spacecraft was launched on July 20, 2023, and is currently orbiting the Sun in a halo orbit around the Lagrange 1 (L1) point, which is the point of gravitational balance between the Sun and the Earth.
The Aditya L1 spacecraft carries seven science instruments, including HEL1OS, which is responsible for capturing high-resolution X-ray images of the Sun. Other instruments are designed to study the Sun’s corona, chromosphere and photosphere.
Also Read: What is Aditya L1? Everything you need to know about India’s first solar mission
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: newstars.edu.vn