Solar wind particle experiment payload onboard Aditya-L1 starts operations: ISRO
Bengaluru (PTI): The Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment payload onboard India's Aditya-L1 satellite has commenced its operations and is performing normally, ISRO said on Saturday.
ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C57) on September 2 had successfully launched the Aditya-L1 spacecraft, from the second launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
Aditya-L1 is the first Indian space-based observatory to study the Sun from a halo orbit around first Sun-earth Lagrangian point (L1), which is located
roughly 1.5 million km from Earth.
In a statement, ISRO said Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX) comprises two cutting-edge instruments 'the Solar Wind Ion Spectrometer (SWIS) and SupraThermal and Energetic Particle Spectrometer (STEPS). The STEPS instrument was operational on September 10, 2023. The SWIS instrument was activated on November 2, 2023, and has exhibited optimal performance.
"SWIS, utilising two sensor units with a remarkable 360 field of view each, operates in planes perpendicular to one another," the statement read.
According to ISRO, the instrument has successfully measured solar wind ions, primarily protons and alpha particles.
A sample energy histogram acquired from one of the sensors over two days in November 2023 illustrates variations in proton and alpha particle (doubly ionized helium, He2+) counts, the agency said.
"These variations were recorded with nominal integration time, providing a comprehensive snapshot of solar wind behaviour," ISRO said.
The directional capabilities of SWIS enable precise measurements of solar wind protons and alphas, contributing significantly to addressing longstanding questions about solar wind properties, underlying processes, and their impact on Earth, the space agency explained.
"The change in the proton and alpha particle number ratio, as observed by SWIS, holds the potential to provide indirect information about the arrival of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) at the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point L1," ISRO said.
Enhanced alpha-to-proton ratio is often regarded as one of the sensitive markers of the passage of interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) at the L1 and hence considered crucial for space weather studies.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Sensex, Nifty nosedive over 5 percent in early trade in tandem with global markets meltdown
_vb_47.jpeg)
Mumbai (PTI): Stock market benchmark indices went into a tailspin in early trade on Monday, with the Sensex and Nifty crashing over 5 percent, mirroring a sharp fall in global equities, after US President Donald Trump's tariff hikes and retaliation from China fanned fears that a full-blown trade war will impact economic growth across the globe.
The 30-share BSE benchmark Sensex crashed 3,939.68 points or 5.22 percent to 71,425.01 in early trade. The NSE Nifty tumbled 1,160.8 points or 5.06 percent to 21,743.65.
All the Sensex firms were trading in the negative territory. Tata Steel dropped over 8 percent, followed by Tata Motors which cracked more than 7 per cent. HCL Technologies, Tech Mahindra, Infosys, Larsen & Toubro, Tata Consultancy Services and Reliance Industries were the other big laggards.
In Asian markets, Hong Kong's Hang Seng tanked nearly 11 percent, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 plunged nearly 7 percent, Shanghai SSE Composite index dropped over 6 percent and South Korea's Kospi index sank 5 percent.
US markets ended sharply lower on Friday. The S&P 500 plummeted 5.97 percent, Nasdaq composite slumped 5.82 percent and the Dow tumbled 5.50 percent on Friday.
"Both China and Japan index declined by 10 percent and 8 percent, respectively. This escalates the stakes in the ongoing trade war and raises concerns about a potential global recession that could affect everyone. On Friday, the US S&P 500 dropped by 6 percent, and the Dow Jones fell more than 2,000 points, marking its worst week since the COVID-19 crisis. This came after China announced it would impose reciprocal 34 percent tariffs on all US imports starting April 10," Vikas Jain, Head of Research at Reliance Securities, said.
The sharp increase in tariffs by both the US and China could lead to higher inflation, slower global growth, and intensify trade tensions, he added.
Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 3,483.98 crore on Friday, according to exchange data.
Global oil benchmark Brent crude dropped 2.74 percent to USD 63.78 a barrel.
On Friday, the Sensex tumbled 930.67 points or 1.22 percent to settle at 75,364.69. The Nifty declined 345.65 points or 1.49 percent to close at 22,904.45.
Last week, the Sensex tanked 2,050.23 points or 2.64 percent, while the NSE Nifty declined 614.8 points or 2.61 percent.
