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February 1st, 2009

Greetings, Mr. Sun — Coronas-Photon To Study You Extensively After A Successful Launch


Greetings, Mr. Sun — Coronas-Photon To Study You Extensively After A Successful Launch Cyclon-3 rocket launch From Roscosmos we learn that a Cyclon-3 rocket has successfully lifted off from Plesetsk with its Coronas-Photon satellite payload. The launch occurred at 16:30 Moscow time and separation occurred at 17:13.

The satellite's solar arrays deployed successfully in the orbit. The main goal of the project is the investigation of energy accumulation and its transformation into accelerated particles during solar flares. Also to be studied are the acceleration mechanisms, propagation, and interaction of fast particles in the solar atmosphere as well as the study of the solar activity in correlation with the physical-chemical processes in the Earth upper atmosphere. The missions objectives include...
    Coronas-Photon satellite
  • Determination of distribution functions of accelerated electrons, protons and nuclei and their dynamics with a high time resolution
  • Research of difference in acceleration dynamics of electrons and protons (nuclei)
  • Research of distribution function variations for high energy particles (up to a few GeV)
  • Research of interacting particle angular anisotropy by statistical analysis of radiation spectra and linear polarization parameters of hard X-rays
  • Study of directional effects in the region of high energy gamma radiation
  • Determination of mechanisms and requirements of electrons and protons acceleration in different flare phases, and parameters of propagation region of accelerated particles
  • Determination of elemental abundance in the region of gamma-ray production by gamma spectroscopy and capture of low energy neutrons in the solar atmosphere
  • Determination of radiation generation altitudes by observation of deuteron line weakening from limb flares
  • Determination of energy spectra view of accelerated protons and nuclei and dynamics of these spectra according to nuclear gamma-line ratio
  • Study of light elements generation (D, 3He, Li, Be) during flares
  • Solar-terrestrial connections physics
  • Research of chemical and isotopic compositions of nuclei accelerated in flare on the Earth orbit, and also energy and temporal parameters of flare electrons and protons
  • Monitoring of the Earth upper atmosphere by absorption of extreme ultraviolet of the quiet Sun