ADITYA
L1 – SCI & TECH
News: Aditya-L1: its functioning and
purpose
What's
in the news?
●
The launch of Aditya-L1 by PSLV-C57 was accomplished successfully
from Sriharikota.
●
Aditya L1 will function as a space weather
station.
○
Understanding space weather is an
international issue, and the data from the spacecraft will aid in making models
and predicting storms in advance.
Key
takeaways:
●
The vehicle has placed the satellite precisely
into its intended orbit.
●
India’s
first solar observatory has begun its journey to the
destination of Sun-Earth L1 point.
Significance:
Space
Weather Prediction:
●
Solar activities, such as solar flares and
coronal mass ejections, can impact Earth's space environment.
●
Understanding Coronal Heating and Solar
Wind Acceleration.
●
Understanding coupling and dynamics of the
solar atmosphere.
●
Understanding solar wind distribution and
temperature anisotropy.
Lagrange
Points in the Sun-Earth System:
●
Lagrange points are positions in space
where the gravitational forces of two large orbiting bodies, like the Earth and
Sun, produce regions of equilibrium where a smaller object can orbit while
using minimal fuel.
●
The L1 point of the Earth-Sun system provides
an uninterrupted view of the Sun and is home to the SOHO space telescope.
Remote
Sensing Payloads:
1.
Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC):
●
Studies the solar corona.
●
Observe dynamics of Coronal Mass
Ejections.
2.
Solar Ultra-violet Imaging Telescope (SUIT):
●
Captures images of the Solar Photosphere
and Chromosphere in near Ultraviolet (UV).
●
Measures solar irradiance variations in
near UV.
3.
Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS):
●
Functions as a Soft X-ray spectrometer.
●
Studies X-ray flares from the Sun across a
wide X-ray energy range.
4.
High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS):
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Acts as a Hard X-ray spectrometer.
●
Investigates X-ray flares from the Sun
across a wide X-ray energy range.
5.
Aditya Solar Wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX):
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Studies solar wind and energetic ions.
●
Analyze their energy distribution.
6.
Plasma Analyser Package for Aditya (PAPA):
●
Gather data on plasma characteristics and
composition in the interplanetary space.
●
Provides insights into solar wind
interactions with the environment.
7.
Advanced Tri-axial High-Resolution Digital Magnetometers (MAG):
●
To measure the low-intensity
interplanetary magnetic field in space.