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您选择的条件: Anil Bhardwaj
  • Effects of Solar Activity, Solar Insolation and the Lower Atmospheric Dust on the Martian Thermosphere

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: A diagnosis of the Ar densities measured by the Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer aboard the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) and the temperatures derived from these densities shows that solar activity, solar insolation, and the lower atmospheric dust are the dominant forcings of the Martian thermosphere. A methodology, based on multiple linear regression analysis, is developed to quantify the contributions of the dominant forcings to the densities and temperatures. The results of the present study show that a 100 sfu (solar flux units) change in the solar activity results in approx. 136 K corresponding change in the thermospheric temperatures. The solar insolation constrains the seasonal, latitudinal, and diurnal variations to be interdependent. Diurnal variation dominates the solar insolation variability, followed by the latitudinal and seasonal variations. Both the global and regional dust storms lead to considerable enhancements in the densities and temperatures of the Martian thermosphere. Using past data of the solar fluxes and the dust optical depths, the state of the Martian thermosphere is extrapolated back to Martian year (MY) 24. While the global dust storms of MY 25, MY 28 and MY 34 raise the thermospheric temperatures by approx. 22-38 K, the regional dust storm of MY 34 leads to approx. 15 K warming. Dust driven thermospheric temperatures alone can enhance the hydrogen escape fluxes by 1.67-2.14 times compared to those without the dust. Dusts effects are relatively significant for global dust storms that occur in solar minimum compared to those that occur in solar maximum.

  • Soft X-ray Spectral Diagnostics of Multi-thermal Plasma in Solar Flares with Chandrayaan-2 XSM

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Spectroscopic observations in X-ray wavelengths provide excellent diagnostics of the temperature distribution in solar flare plasma. The Solar X-ray Monitor (XSM) onboard the Chandrayaan-2 mission provides broad-band disk integrated soft X-ray solar spectral measurements in the energy range of 1-15 keV with high spectral resolution and time cadence. In this study, we analyse X-ray spectra of three representative GOES C-class flares obtained with the XSM to investigate the evolution of various plasma parameters during the course of the flares. Using the soft X-ray spectra consisting of the continuum and well-resolved line complexes of major elements like Mg, Si, and Fe, we investigate the validity of the isothermal and multi-thermal assumptions on the high temperature components of the flaring plasma. We show that the soft X-ray spectra during the impulsive phase of the high intensity flares are inconsistent with isothermal models and are best fitted with double peaked differential emission measure distributions where the temperature of the hotter component rises faster than that of the cooler component. The two distinct temperature components observed in DEM models during the impulsive phase of the flares suggest the presence of the directly heated plasma in the corona and evaporated plasma from the chromospheric footpoints. We also find that the abundances of low FIP elements Mg, Si, and Fe reduces from near coronal to near photospheric values during the rising phase of the flare and recovers back to coronal values during decay phase, which is also consistent with the chromospheric evaporation scenario.

  • Line Emission Mapper (LEM): Probing the physics of cosmic ecosystems

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: The Line Emission Mapper (LEM) is an X-ray Probe for the 2030s that will answer the outstanding questions of the Universe's structure formation. It will also provide transformative new observing capabilities for every area of astrophysics, and to heliophysics and planetary physics as well. LEM's main goal is a comprehensive look at the physics of galaxy formation, including stellar and black-hole feedback and flows of baryonic matter into and out of galaxies. These processes are best studied in X-rays, and emission-line mapping is the pressing need in this area. LEM will use a large microcalorimeter array/IFU, covering a 30x30' field with 10" angular resolution, to map the soft X-ray line emission from objects that constitute galactic ecosystems. These include supernova remnants, star-forming regions, superbubbles, galactic outflows (such as the Fermi/eROSITA bubbles in the Milky Way and their analogs in other galaxies), the Circumgalactic Medium in the Milky Way and other galaxies, and the Intergalactic Medium at the outskirts and beyond the confines of galaxies and clusters. LEM's 1-2 eV spectral resolution in the 0.2-2 keV band will make it possible to disentangle the faintest emission lines in those objects from the bright Milky Way foreground, providing groundbreaking measurements of the physics of these plasmas, from temperatures, densities, chemical composition to gas dynamics. While LEM's main focus is on galaxy formation, it will provide transformative capability for all classes of astrophysical objects, from the Earth's magnetosphere, planets and comets to the interstellar medium and X-ray binaries in nearby galaxies, AGN, and cooling gas in galaxy clusters. In addition to pointed observations, LEM will perform a shallow all-sky survey that will dramatically expand the discovery space.