Aditya-L1 mission starts collecting solar wind data
ISRO informs that researchers are studying the collected data deeply
Aditya-L1 mission, India's maiden solar mission, is dedicated to unravelling the mysteries of the sun.
Recently, it has achieved a significant milestone by initiating observations of solar wind. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) shared the successful activation of the Aditya Solar Wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX) payload.
The ISRO also shared an image on X (formerly Twitter) that illustrates the energy variations in proton and alpha particle counts captured by the new payload. ISRO posted, "The Solar Wind Ion Spectrometer (SWIS), the second instrument in the Aditya Solar Wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX) payload, is operational. The histogram illustrates the energy variations in proton and alpha particle counts captured by SWIS over two days."
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As shared in a document by ISRO, the ASPEX comprises two instruments — the Solar wind Ion Spectrometer (SWIS) and STEPS (SupraThermal and Energetic Particle Spectrometer). While STEPS started its operation on 10 September, the SWIS instrument was activated on Saturday and has exhibited optimal performance.
SWIS, equipped with two sensor units offering a 360° field of view each, operates in perpendicular planes. It has effectively measured solar wind ions, focusing on protons and alpha particles.
The recently shared image by ISRO on social media illustrates the energy variations in proton (H+) and alpha particle (He2+) counts captured by SWIS over a two-day period in November 2023. This data is vital for understanding solar wind behaviour.
The mission was launched from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on 2 September. The main objective of the Aditya-L1 mission is to study various aspects of solar phenomena, including the physics of solar corona, solar wind acceleration, solar atmosphere dynamics, and the origin of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) and flares.
As informed by ISRO, researchers are studying the collected data deeply. The scientific community from all over the world is eagerly awaiting the abundance of knowledge that Aditya-L1's ASPEX is about to reveal about the solar wind and its impact on Earth.
