Scientists from India’s Aditya-L1 mission have detected small brightenings in the Sun’s atmosphere before solar flares. The signals appeared in the same region several hours before the eruption that followed.
Analysis of data from Aditya-L1 identified several small and short-lived brightening events in active regions of the Sun. These events, described as transient events, appeared before major solar flares and later clustered around the location where the flare occurred.
Some of the transient events were also associated with X-ray signatures. This indicates that the events may involve the release of magnetic energy. According to the researchers, repeated small-scale energy releases could gradually make the magnetic field of an active region unstable and eventually produce a major solar flare.
The study used simultaneous observations from three payloads aboard Aditya-L1. The Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) observed the Sun through 11 near-ultraviolet filters, while the SoLEXS and HEL1OS instruments recorded X-ray emissions from the solar corona.
Aditya-L1’s vantage point around the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 1 (L1) enables continuous observation of solar activity. Near-ultraviolet observations from SUIT are particularly relevant because Earth’s atmosphere absorbs most ultraviolet radiation, making these wavelengths difficult to obtain through ground-based observations.
Solar flares are intense bursts of electromagnetic radiation associated with the release of magnetic energy. Large flares can affect radio communication and navigation systems, damage satellites, and increase radiation risks for astronauts and spacecraft.
According to scientists, understanding pre-flare activity could help develop reliable solar flare forecasting and improve space weather prediction in the future. This could improve preparations to protect satellites, communication systems, astronauts and other critical technologies from the potential effects of solar activity.
The research was conducted by researchers from the Manipal Centre for Natural Sciences and Manipal Academy of Higher Education in collaboration with scientists from ISRO/Department of Space and other academic institutions. The study’s findings have been published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
