Koronas Foton (Coronas Photon)

Koronas-Foton

CORONAS (Complex ORbital Observations Near-Earth of Activity of the Sun) is a Russian program for study of the Sun and solar-terrestrial connections physics by series of spacecraft, which provides launching of three solar-oriented satellites onto the near-Earth orbit.

CORONAS-PHOTON (or Koronas-Foton) 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 2009.

CORONAS-PHOTON is a part of International Living With a Star Program (ILWS).

The main goal of the project is 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

• Study of hard X-ray and gamma radiation from gamma-ray bursts;
• Study of X-ray radiation from the bright local sources along Ecliptic plane.

The powersystem of Koronas-Foton failed in mid January 2010, ending the mission after only one year in orbit.