Data from Aditya-L1 mission is shedding light on long-standing enigma in solar astrophysics: how sun's atmosphere keeps its energy despite frequent eruptions . Scientists at Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) used observations from Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) to show interactions between magnetic field lines are key.
Dr. Ramesh,senior professor at IIA and principal investigator for VELC, said sun's surface temperature is around 5,500 degrees Celsius. But the solar corona,outer atmosphere,reaches about two million degrees . During intense eruptions,temperature can spike to 40 million degrees. “It’s natural to expect sun’s temperature should drop from surface to outer layers . But it doesn’t,” he noted.
Findings reveal energy loss from sun,especially during coronal mass ejections (CMEs), must be replenished to avoid a catastrophic energy drop. Scientists warn without this replenishment,sun could exhaust its reserves,leading to potential deep freeze on Earth. “There can be several CMEs even on a single day,” Dr. Ramesh added,emphasizing need to understand these dynamics.
Continuous observations from VELC are critical,as eruptions occur unpredictably . V. Muthupriyal, project scientist for VELC, highlighted that monitoring these events without interruption helps not only solar physicists in India but researchers worldwide. Data collected will be a benchmark for future studies,enhancing understanding of solar phenomena.
Key insights for this research also came from a network of low-cost solar radio spectrographs installed globally,including one operated by IIA at Gauribidanur Observatory. This collaborative effort underscores international push to unravel solar complexities.
Implications of this research go beyond academic curiosity . Understanding sun's energy budget is crucial for predicting solar behavior,which can impact space weather and technology on Earth. As scientists dive deeper into Aditya-L1 data,quest to unlock sun's atmospheric mysteries gains momentum…
