Context

A novel algorithm for tracking the very fast accelerating Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) has been developed by a group of researchers under the lead of Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES).

About

• The novel algorithm CIISCO

• The newly developed algorithm is named CME Identification in Inner Solar Corona (CIISCO).
• It was jointly developed along with scientists from the Royal Observatory of Belgium.
• It can track bubbles of gaseous matter associated with magnetic field lines ejected from the Sun’s inside.
• The newly developed algorithm has been successfully tracked these accelerating solar eruptions in the lower corona.
• Significance: It would help as a foundation in planning research of the lesser-known lower corona region of the Sun using Aditya L1.

Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) It is a significant release of plasma and accompanying magnetic field from the solar corona. These ejections follow solar flares and are normally present during a solar prominence eruption. The plasma is released into the solar wind.

The need 

• Due to limited technology of satellite and ground-based observatories in acquiring observations of CMEs from within the Sun’s interiors was difficult.
• Space environment, Weather, and climate around Earth are governed by the Sun.
• CMEs and the solar flares, solar energetic particles, high-speed solar winds pose a serious threat to most of Earth’s space-based services along with the Global Positioning System (GPS), radio, and satellite-based telecommunication and can cause power grid failure.

Aditya - L1 The Aditya-1 mission India’s first mission to study the Sun. The Aditya-1 mission is a 400kg class satellite carrying one payload, the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC). It was planned to launch in 800 km low earth orbit and now will be inserted in a halo orbit around the L1, which is around 1.5 million km from the Earth. A Satellite that is placed in the halo orbit around the Lagrangian point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system will have the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultation/ eclipses.  Aditya-1 was meant to observe only the solar corona.  The outer layer of the Sun which extends to thousands of km above the disc (photosphere) is termed the corona (6000K)