1) Aditya-L1 is India's first space mission to study the Sun. It will observe the Sun from a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth Lagrangian point 1, about 1.5 million km from Earth.
2) The mission carries seven payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere, and solar corona in different wavelengths.
3) The payloads will study the corona using visible and infrared imaging, measure magnetic fields, observe flares and eruptive events using X-ray spectroscopy, and analyze the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field. Combined observations from the payloads aim to further understanding of processes like coronal heating.
1) Aditya-L1 is India's first space mission to study the Sun. It will observe the Sun from a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth Lagrangian point 1, about 1.5 million km from Earth.
2) The mission carries seven payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere, and solar corona in different wavelengths.
3) The payloads will study the corona using visible and infrared imaging, measure magnetic fields, observe flares and eruptive events using X-ray spectroscopy, and analyze the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field. Combined observations from the payloads aim to further understanding of processes like coronal heating.
1) Aditya-L1 is India's first space mission to study the Sun. It will observe the Sun from a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth Lagrangian point 1, about 1.5 million km from Earth.
2) The mission carries seven payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere, and solar corona in different wavelengths.
3) The payloads will study the corona using visible and infrared imaging, measure magnetic fields, observe flares and eruptive events using X-ray spectroscopy, and analyze the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field. Combined observations from the payloads aim to further understanding of processes like coronal heating.
1) Aditya-L1 is India's first space mission to study the Sun. It will observe the Sun from a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth Lagrangian point 1, about 1.5 million km from Earth.
2) The mission carries seven payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere, and solar corona in different wavelengths.
3) The payloads will study the corona using visible and infrared imaging, measure magnetic fields, observe flares and eruptive events using X-ray spectroscopy, and analyze the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field. Combined observations from the payloads aim to further understanding of processes like coronal heating.
Aditya-L1 mission S. Seetha* and S. Megala Space Science Programme Office, ISRO Headquarters, Bengaluru 560 231, India
Aditya-L1: enhanced Aditya-1 project
Aditya-L1 is the first Indian space mission to study the Sun. The mission is aimed at studying the Sun Aditya-1 was meant to observe the solar corona. The mis- from a halo orbit around the Sun–Earth Lagrangian point 1, which is about 1.5 million kilometres from the sion was conceived as a 400 kg-class satellite carrying Earth. It carries seven payloads to observe the photo- one payload, the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph sphere, chromosphere and the outermost layers of the (VELC) to study the corona from 1.05 to 1.5 solar radii. Sun, the corona, in different wavebands. The space- It was planned to be launched in an 800 km Sun synchro- craft and payloads are under development. Aditya-L1 nous orbit. is expected to be launched during the 2019–20 time- However, the requirements of the payload demanded a frame by PSLV-XL. much larger satellite platform. Hence it was decided by the ISRO’s Advisory Committee for Space Science Keywords: Corona, mission, payloads, Sun. (ADCOS) that a full-fledged large satellite be designed with many more payloads, which could be launched into a halo orbit around the Sun–Earth Lagrangian point 1 Introduction (L1). This allows for observations of the Sun without any occultation/eclipse and to study the Sun in a more com- T HE Sun being our nearest star, has been studied in great prehensive manner. With this in view, the Aditya-1 mission detail. It has been observed for over 300 years, and solar has been revised to ‘Aditya-L1 mission’. The satellite physics has attained the status of a mature and independ- will be inserted in a halo orbit around L1, which is 1.5 ent discipline in astrophysics. Although both observations million kilometres from the Earth. Aditya-L1 is a 1500 and modelling have improved tremendously over the kg-class satellite carrying seven payloads. The payloads years, there are still a number of outstanding scientific cover the Sun’s photosphere (ultraviolet (UV) and soft questions which remain unanswered. One example of the and hard X-rays), chromosphere (UV) and corona (visible exciting challenges posed by the Sun, the mystery of the and NIR). In addition, particle payloads will study the missing solar neutrinos, was solved after decades of ex- particle flux emanating from the Sun and reaching the L1 tensive and diligent experimental observations and theo- orbit, while the magnetometer payload will measure the retical framework, which led to fresh insights on the variation in magnetic field strength at the halo orbit fundamental properties of neutrinos and particle physics. around L1. These payloads will make in situ measurements For several decades now, the puzzle of what are the and therefore have to be placed outside the interference sources that heat the chromosphere, the transition region from the Earth’s magnetic field for useful measurements and the solar corona, above the much cooler photosphere, to study the incoming effects from the Sun. still remains. Similarly, eruptive phenomena of flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) which expel huge Payloads and their objectives amounts of particulate matter and energy into the inter- planetary space which have direct consequences on space Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) made an an- weather and its effects on the Earth, are still difficult to nouncement of opportunity (AO) and invited payload comprehend. The possible methods of ‘coronal heating proposals from various Indian research institutions and and confining plasma’ have potential applications for universities. In response, several proposals were received. constructing viable fusion reactors, and understanding the Seven payloads were selected based on their scientific ‘solar eruptions’ will help protect the terrestrial power merit and technical feasibility. The main payload contin- and communication systems from serious disruptions. In ues to be the coronagraph of Aditya-1 with enhanced ca- an attempt to understand some of these mysteries, the pabilities of spectroscopy and spectro-polarimetry. first Indian mission to study the Sun, Aditya-L1 is The payloads on-board Aditya-L1 are as follows: planned with a suite of instruments to obtain a better un- derstanding of the star. (i) Visible Emission Line Coronagraph: To study the diagnostic parameters of solar corona, and dynamics and origin of CMEs (three visible and one infrared (IR) channels); magnetic field measurement of solar *For correspondence. (e-mail: [email protected]) corona down to tens of Gauss. 610 CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 113, NO. 4, 25 AUGUST 2017 ASTRONOMY: ADITYA MISSION (ii) Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT): To urements of the solar corona, albeit down to only tens of image the spatially resolved solar photosphere and Gauss sensitivity with long integrations. This experiment chromosphere in near UV (NUV; 200–400 nm) and is similar to the Large Angle and Spectrometric Corona- measure solar irradiance variations. graph (LASCO-C1), one of the experiments on Solar and (iii) Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS): Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). SOHO is a very large To monitor the X-ray flares for studying the heating solar mission of NASA with 610 kg payload mass, which mechanism of the solar corona. is about 2.5 times that of Aditya-L1. Compared to (iv) High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer LASCO-C1 which could observe from 1.1 to 3 solar radii, (HEL1OS): To observe the dynamic events in the VELC is expected to observe closer to the Sun, from 1.05 solar corona and provide an estimate of the energy to 3 solar radii, and can therefore extend observations used to accelerate the particles during the eruptive into the inner part of the corona, with the important addi- events. tional feature of providing coronal magnetic field data. (v) Aditya Solar Wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX): VELC also has a better image (2.5 arcsec/pixel) and spec- To study the variation of solar wind properties as tral resolution (0.0065 nm for Fe XIV line) than LASCO- well as its distribution and spectral characteristics. C1 (5.6 arcsec/pixel and 0.065 nm for Fe XIV). It may be (vi) Plasma Analyser Package for Aditya (PAPA): To noted that although SOHO has had a long mission life (it understand the composition of solar wind and its was launched in 1995), LASCO-C1 could make meas- energy distribution. urements only for about two years, after which no data (vii) Magnetometer: To estimate the magnitude and na- were available. Hence an instrument to study the inner ture of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). corona is extremely important. The second instrument, SUIT, is expected to image the Combined observations of each of these payloads can Sun in specific filters of the near UV band (200–400 nm). also lead to several other important analyses. Solar erup- In order to understand the footprints of solar eruptive tions like flares and CMEs originate in the outer layers of events, SUIT will image the solar photosphere, chromos- the chromosphere and the corona, but have their magnetic phere and part of the transition region right up to 1.1 so- connection down to even below the photosphere. The lar radii in the near-UV band. In addition, SUIT will SUIT instrument will therefore be able to study the inten- enable the study of solar irradiance variations which are sity enhancement at the chromospheric layers, the closely connected with magnetic activity on the solar SoLEXS and the HEL1OS instruments will provide ob- disc. The near UV waveband is best suited for this be- servations on the initiation of the impulsive phase of the cause 60% of solar irradiance variations are believed to flares, and VELC will enable the study of the dynamics at occur in this band, although it constitutes only 8% of the the corona. This combination of measurements will help total solar irradiance. Most satellites have experiments in providing a comprehensive picture of the eruptive operating in the extreme UV (EUV) region, since this is events and help fine-tune models providing a physical useful to study the higher temperature regions better. The understanding of these events, and hence the drivers af- NUV region enables us to study the photosphere, chro- fecting space weather. The PAPA, ASPEX and MAG in- mosphere and a portion of the transition region between struments will measure the particulate flux and IMF at the chromosphere and the corona. These observations the L1 orbit. will also allow the study of variabilities in the irradiance of the Sun in the UV band, in which variations are maxi- mum. The only other satellite which has NUV instrumen- Current and future missions tation is the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) mission of NASA. IRIS is a multi-channel imag- Aditya-L1 is primarily a mission to study the solar corona ing spectrograph with a 20 cm UV telescope which oper- and processes leading to changes in the same. There are ates in the wavelength range 133–135 nm and 139– two imaging payloads for Aditya-L1. 140 nm in far UV, and 278–283 nm in NUV. When com- The main payload, VELC will study the solar corona in pared to IRIS, SUIT can do full disk observations with an the visible band and also in one of the IR lines to estimate FOV of 33–35 arcmin which has overlap with VELC, the magnetic field of the corona from space for the first whereas FOV of IRIS is only 2 arcmin. SUIT has broad- time. The VELC payload will study the diagnostic para- band and narrow-band filters (totally 10) for UV observa- meters of the coronal plasma like velocity, temperature tions, thus addressing individual lines when compared to and density, and also perform spectroscopic studies in IRIS which has four pass bands. It is expected that the ten three wavebands. It will study the dynamics and origin of filters will allow for a ‘layered’ study of some of the CMEs at coronal distances from 1.05 solar radii all the eruptive events like prominences. way to 1.5 solar radii, with a field of view (FOV) covering The initiation and impulsive phases of the solar flares 3 solar radii. The IR channel enables spectro-polarimetry are best studied in the X-ray bands. Two instruments, and hence magnetic topology and magnetic field meas- SoLEXS and HEL1OS, will study the X-ray spectrum all CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 113, NO. 4, 25 AUGUST 2017 611 ASTRONOMY: ADITYA MISSION the way from 1 to 150 keV. The X-ray spectrometer will which is to be launched in the 2017–18 timeframe, will also provide an independent measure of temperatures have a coronagraph which could observe the corona from leading to the flare processes. The X-ray instruments 1.4 to 3.0 solar radii and also have an EUV imager. To operating in a wide X-ray band will help in studying solar recall, VELC is expected to have the capability to X-ray flares with good spectral resolution. SoLEXS is observe the corona from 1.05 solar radii. comparable to the X-ray spectrometer flown on RHESSI The Solar Probe plus spacecraft of NASA planned dur- spacecraft by NASA. SoLEXS will have a much lower ing 2018 will reach about 5.9 million kilometres from the energy threshold starting from about 1 keV compared to Sun, well within the orbit of Mercury and about eight 3 keV of RHESSI, thus enabling a better modelling of the times closer than any spacecraft. It has a Heliospheric solar X-ray spectrum. It will also have a better spectral Imager which will provide context for the in situ instru- resolution (by a factor of 3–4; ~250 eV at 6 keV) com- ments and be able to tomographically reconstruct the pared to RHESSI (<2 keV below 1 MeV) and the upcom- three-dimensional density structure of the corona. The ing STIX payload on Solar Orbiter (1 keV at 6 keV and 160° FOV is sufficiently large to view the corona from 15 keV at 150 keV). The resolution of HEL1OS is near the solar limb to beyond the zenith. ~1 keV at 22 keV and ~5 keV at 60 keV. There is a large amount of ionized matter and energy Launch and operations which blows out of the Sun which is known as the solar wind. This increases by several orders of magnitude when Aditya-L1 is expected to be launched during the 2019–20 there is a CME. A study of the composition of the solar timeframe by PSLV-XL from Sriharikota. The lift-off wind and the particulate emissions during the occurrence mass of the spacecraft is about 1500 kg. The satellite will of CMEs compared to the quiet phase of the Sun will be be launched into an elliptical Earth Parking Orbit of done using the PAPA and the ASPEX. These experiments 245 km by 21,000 km. The satellite propulsion is em- taken together with the magnetometer will help in under- ployed to carry out orbit manoeuvres to raise the orbit, standing the solar wind and its changes during activity on transfer around the L1 point, insertion and maintain orbit the Sun. There are many satellites carrying particle about L1. The insertion around L1 will take place in experiments and magnetometer, like the ACE, WIND and about 100 days from the launch. The nominal satellite or- DSCOVR. The DSCOVR mission launched on 11 Febru- bit lifetime is about 5 years. ary 2015 to the L1 orbit carried a Plasma-Magnetometer The ground segment elements include Spacecraft Con- (PlasMag) along with two Earth science instruments. trol Centre (SCC) at ISRO Telemetry Tracking and PlasMag will measure the solar wind activity, including Command Network (ISTRAC), Indian Deep Space Net- the magnetic field and the velocity distribution (magni- work (IDSN) and the Indian Space Science Data Centre tude and direction) of solar wind particles. (ISSDC). The existing Telemetry and Tele-Command These, however, are independent satellites to mainly (TTC) network of ISTRAC will support the TTC func- measure the solar wind, to provide inputs for space tions. For the initial phase operations, the network will be weather and prediction of solar-related events on Earth. augmented with additional network stations from other They do not study the Sun per se. The only other space- agencies. The payload data will be acquired through craft which carried both solar and particle experiments IDSN. These data will be processed and disseminated was again the SOHO, which was a much bigger satellite. through ISSDC. In Aditya-L1, the particle instruments and the magne- tometer are expected to provide inputs on the variation in flux of charged particles and magnetic fields from the Conclusion Sun that reach L1, as a tool leading to overall understand- The Aditya-L1 mission is expected to provide a multi- ing of the Sun, and so will complement the measurements pronged holistic approach to the understanding of some done with the other instruments on CME events. Though of the outstanding problems of solar physics. not a primary objective, these instruments can contribute to the overall database on space weather. Amongst the other upcoming international missions, the Solar Orbiter, a joint mission of ESA and NASA doi: 10.18520/cs/v113/i04/610-612
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