Aditya-L1 Mission: Unlocking Solar Flare Secrets

Aditya-L1 Mission: Unlocking Solar Flare Secrets

Sub : Sci

Sec: Space Sector

Why in News

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced that the Aditya-L1 mission has captured the first-ever image of a solar flare ‘kernel’ using its Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) payload.

Key Observations:

• The SUIT payload aboard Aditya-L1 captured the image in the lower solar atmosphere, specifically the photosphere and chromosphere.
• The solar flare was detected in the Near Ultraviolet (NUV) wavelength range of 200-400 nm.
• This is the first time a solar flare has been observed in such detail in this spectrum.
• The observation, recorded an X6.3-class solar flare, one of the most intense solar eruptions.
• The observation confirmed that energy released from the flare spreads through different layers of the Sun’s atmosphere.
• The localized brightening in the lower solar atmosphere was found to correspond with an increase in plasma temperature in the solar corona.
• This validates theories linking flare energy deposition to temperature evolution in the Sun’s outer layers.

Aditya-L1 Mission:

• ADITYA-L1 will carry seven different payloads capable of studying various phenomena on the Sun across the electromagnetic spectrum and solar wind. These payloads include:
  • Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC)
  • Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT)
  • Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS)
  • Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX)
  • High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS)
  • Plasma Analyser Package for Aditya (PAPA)
  • Advanced Tri-axial High-Resolution Digital Magnetometers

Lagrange Points:

• “L1” refers to the Lagrange point 1. Lagrange points are specific points in space where the gravitational forces of two large bodies, such as the Sun and the Earth, balance the centrifugal force felt by a smaller body.
• Lagrange points can be used by spacecraft to reduce fuel consumption needed to remain in position.
• L1 is one of the five Lagrange points in the Sun-Earth system. Of the five, three are unstable (L1, L2, and L3) and two are stable (L4 and L5).
• The unstable Lagrange points (L1, L2, and L3) lie along the line connecting the two large masses.
• The stable Lagrange points (L4 and L5) form the apex of two equilateral triangles that have the large masses at their vertices. L4 leads the orbit of Earth, and L5 follows.
• The L1 point of the Earth-Sun system provides an uninterrupted view of the sun and is currently home to the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory Satellite.

Solar Flare:

• A solar flare is a sudden, intense burst of energy originating from the Sun’s atmosphere, caused by the reconnection of magnetic fields.
• This phenomenon releases energy in the form of light, radiation, and high-energy particles.
• Kernel: In the context of solar flares, a ‘kernel’ refers to the brightest and most concentrated region observed in the lower layers of the Sun’s atmosphere during a flare event.
• These compact features are sites of rapid heating and plasma up flow during the rise phase of flares.
• Solar Flare Classification: Solar flares are categorized based on their peak X-ray flux in the 1 to 8 Angstrom range, as measured by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES). The classification system is as follows:
• A-Class: The weakest flares, with peak flux starting at 10⁻⁸ watts per square meter (W/m²). These flares are barely noticeable above the Sun’s background radiation and have no noticeable consequences on Earth.
• B-Class: Flares with peak flux of 10⁻⁷ W/m². These are ten times more intense than A-class flares but still have minimal impact on Earth.
• C-Class: Minor flares with peak flux of 10⁻⁶ W/m². These flares have few noticeable consequences on Earth.
• M-Class: Medium-sized flares with peak flux of 10⁻⁵ W/m². They can cause brief radio blackouts affecting Earth’s polar regions, and minor radiation storms sometimes follow an M-class flare.
• X-Class: The largest flares with peak flux of 10⁻⁴ W/m² and above. They can trigger planet-wide radio blackouts and long-lasting radiation storms. Each numerical increment represents a tenfold increase in energy output; for example, an X2 flare is twice as powerful as an X1 flare.