Algorithm for Aditya L1 mission

Published: 19th Apr, 2021

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).

Context

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)

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Algorithm for Aditya L1 mission