Ultraviolet

Telescope

Indian Space Research Organisation

The scientists

Kolkata

This will be a uniquely comprehensive study to help us understand the large variation in the ultraviolet rays emitted by the sun Durgesh Tripathi, principal scientist for the project

Now that the lab model of the SolarImaging(SUIT) for studying the atmosphere and ultra-violet rays of the sun, has been put together by the team at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), it is time to assemble the space-ready payload at the(ISRO) facility at Bengaluru, for which a special and absolutely sterile room is being prepared.SUIT will be one of the seven payloads on the satellite Aditya-L1, scheduled to be launched early 2020, which will mark India’s first space mission to study the sun. Given the hyper-sensitivity of its functions, an environment ultra-low on organic and dust contamination is required. “Even tiny levels of contagion can render the entire mission a failure,” underscored AN Ramaprakash, scientist and instrument principal investigator for the project.As part of Aditya-L1, SUIT will study the different atmospheric layers of the sun over the five-year course of the mission, informed Durgesh Tripathi, principal scientist for the project. “This will be a uniquely comprehensive study to help us understand the large variation in the ultraviolet rays emitted by the sun,” he said, pointing out that these rays are absorbed in the upper atmosphere of the earth and significantly affect climate patterns. An attempt will also be made to learn why the temperature of the sun’s lower atmosphere is less compared to the higher layers.Besides, SUIT will have an inbuilt intelligence system for it to understand the areas to focus on the Sun during special occasions and unique activities taking place. “There would be no time to send signals to the lens to focus on happenings on the surface of the star. Hence, the artificial intelligent system would ensure that it reacts and captures the unique moments of the star allowing them to be studied from Earth,” Ramaprakash explained. The aseptic room is critical for the telescope to be built in, to ensure its performance.said that the facility with different levels of protocols for establishing and monitoring cleanliness levels is almost ready and work inside it should start by next month.Many guidelines and protocols had to be devised for this particular facility, which was not required for other satellites or probes launched by ISRO, as they did not demand contamination control at such low levels.“Apart from special clothing gear and handling material for the instruments, there would be constant monitoring of any defilement inside these rooms. There are gauges and devices which would check for possible contamination,” Tripathi told Mirror. According to specifications, there should be less than 100 particles of a size larger than 0.5 microns, in one cubic foot space in the lab where the payload will be assembled.Speaking of other challenges, Avyarthana Ghosh, a PhD student of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER),, said, “The environment at L1is very hostile. There is constant radiation of highly energetic particles and high-frequency photons. The payload should succeed in performing at such exposure for five years.”One of her main tasks was to determine how to prevent the extreme heat and light coming from the sun from entering the SUIT. This had to be balanced with being able to receive adequate signal at the wavelengths at which the instrument needs to collect data from the sun.Sreejith Padinhatteeri, a postdoctoral fellow who is also the project scientist for SUIT, said that a special window designed and developed jointly by IUCAA and Luma Optics near Mumbai is crucial to eliminate the heat and other unwanted rays from the sun and allow the specific rays to enter the telescope.