Scientific
Program and Objectives of the Project
CORONAS
(Complex ORbital Observations Near-Earth of Activity of
the Sun) – Russian program for study of the Sun and solar-terrestrial
connections physics by series of spacecrafts, which provides
launching of three solar-oriented satellites onto the near-Earth
orbit.
"CORONAS-PHOTON" is the third
satellite in this series. Two previous missions of
the project are "CORONAS-I" (launched on
March 2, 1994) and "CORONAS-F" (launched
on July 31, 2001).
Launching date of “CORONAS-PHOTON” spacecraft is 2006-2007.
CORONAS-PHOTON" is a part of International Living
With a Star Program (ILWS) . |
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MEPhI – Moscow Engineering
Physics Institute (State University) is the main organization
responsible for the scientific payload complex of the “CORONAS-PHOTON”
mission.
NIIEM – Research Institute
for Electromechanics (Moscow region, Istra) is the main
organization responsible for the spacecraft “CORONAS-PHOTON”.
Principal Investigator of the project – Director
of Astrophysics Institute at MEPhI
Dr. Yuri D. Kotov
Main goal of the project:
The investigation of energy accumulation and
its transformation into energy of accelerated particles
processes during solar flares; the study of the acceleration
mechanisms, propagation and interaction of fast particles
in the solar atmosphere; the study of the solar activity
correlation with physical-chemical processes in the Earth
upper atmosphere.
Objectives of the mission:
Physics of the Sun
-
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;
Astrophysics
(C)
IAPh MEPhi, 
