Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
On Saturday, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) marked a significant achievement with the successful initiation of operations for the Aditya Solar Wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX) payload aboard India's Aditya-L1 satellite.
As per ISRO's statement, the ASPEX payload consists of two instruments: the Solar Wind Ion Spectrometer (SWIS) and the SupraThermal and Energetic Particle Spectrometer (STEPS). The Steps instrument commenced operations on September 10, 2023, while the SWIS instrument was activated on November 2, 2023.
The SWIS instrument, with its dual-sensor units, offers a 360-degree field of view. It has demonstrated optimal performance in measuring solar wind ions in detail.
SWIS successfully measured solar wind ions, including protons and alpha particles, providing crucial insights into their behaviour over a two-day period in November 2023. A detailed analysis of the sample energy histogram captured by SWIS sensors, showcased variations in proton (H+) and alpha particle (He2+) counts.
SWIS's unique directional capabilities enable precise measurements of solar wind protons and alphas, contributing to unravelling questions about solar wind properties and underlying processes.
As per ISRO, the observed shift in the ratio of proton to alpha particles by SWIS, presents the opportunity to indirectly extract information about the Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) at the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point L1.
A heightened alpha-to-proton ratio is commonly acknowledged as a sensitive indicator of the transit of interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) at the L1 point. It is an essential measurement for advanced space weather studies.
Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are substantial releases of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun's corona. These events can discharge immense quantities of coronal material, carrying an inherent magnetic field, the strength of which surpasses that of the prevailing solar wind interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). These occurrences have the potential to generate geomagnetic storms on Earth, leading to anomalies and disruptions in the modern-day technology, upon which we depend in our daily lives.
India's inaugural solar mission, Aditya-L1, took off into space on September 2 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) situated on Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. After a journey spanning approximately 1.5 million km over 125 days, the spacecraft is anticipated to be positioned in a Halo orbit encircling the Lagrange Point L1, known for its closest proximity to the Sun.
ISRO Chief S Somnath states that Aditya-L1 is entering its final phase, with manoeuvres to reach Lagrange Point L1 expected to conclude by January 7, 2024.