SOURCE: PIB
The Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) onboard India’s first dedicated solar space mission, Aditya-L1, has captured an unprecedented view of a powerful solar flare ‘kernel’ in the lower solar atmosphere, namely the photosphere and the chromosphere. This marks a historic leap in solar physics!
SUIT observed an X6.3-class solar flare on February 22, 2024, detecting brightening in the near-ultraviolet (NUV) wavelength range (200-400 nm). This is the first time the Sun’s full disk has been imaged in this entire wavelength range with such remarkable detail. These observations provide new insights into explosive solar activities and the complex processes governing energy transfer across different layers of the Sun’s atmosphere.
Solar flares, caused by sudden releases of magnetic energy, can impact space weather, affecting satellite operations, radio communications, and power grids, while also posing risks to astronauts and airline passengers. Historically, these events have been observed for over a century, but data in the NUV band has remained largely absent due to a lack of dedicated space telescopes. The SUIT instrument is now filling this crucial gap by delivering first-of-its-kind observations that enhance our understanding of solar flare dynamics.
A key revelation from SUIT’s observations is the detection of localized brightening that corresponds directly with increases in plasma temperature in the solar corona. These findings provide a direct link between flare energy deposition and heating, validating long-standing theoretical predictions while opening new avenues in solar physics research.
Prof. Srianand, Director of IUCAA, hailed SUIT’s contributions as groundbreaking, marking the beginning of significant findings from Aditya-L1. With SUIT and other instruments fully operational, Aditya-L1 is set to revolutionize solar research, positioning India at the forefront of global space science.
This pioneering research is led by Ph.D. student Soumya Roy under the guidance of Prof. Durgesh Tripathi and Prof. A. N. Ramaprakash at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune, with contributions from leading institutions in India and Germany. The findings have been published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters (DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/adb0be). This breakthrough highlights the transformative capabilities of advanced solar observation, stated Soumya Roy. Prof. Durgesh Tripathi emphasized that these observations reveal the Sun’s explosive power in extraordinary detail. Prof. A. N. Ramaprakash noted that these initial results demonstrate the immense potential of novel instrumentation, with many more discoveries ahead.