The X-ray spectrometer, HEL1OS, attached to Aditya-L1 spacecraft by ISRO for its maiden solar mission, captured the first high-energy X-ray glimpse of solar flares.
In its update, ISRO on Tuesday noted that the spectrometer on board Aditya-L1 has recorded the impulsive phase of solar flares, during its first observation period from approximately October 29, 2023.
A solar flare is a sudden brightening of the solar atmosphere. Flares produce enhanced emission in all wavelengths across the electromagnetic spectrum – radio, optical, UV, soft X-rays, hard X-rays and gamma-rays.
Commissioned on October 27, 2023, the HEL1OS X-ray spectrometer is currently undergoing fine-tuning of thresholds and calibration operations. It has been monitoring the Sun for hard X-ray activities ever since.
“The instrument is set to monitor the sun’s high-energy X-ray activity with fast timing and high-resolution spectra,” ISRO wrote on its X timeline.
HEL1OS data enables researchers to study explosive energy release and electron acceleration during impulsive phases of solar flares. HEL1OS was developed by the Space Astronomy Group of the UR Rao Satellite Centre of ISRO in Bengaluru.