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ISRO will perform the final manoeuvre on Saturday to inject Aditya-L1 spacecraft — the first space-based Indian observatory to study the Sun — into its final destination orbit, some 1.5 million kilometres from the Earth. According to ISRO officials, the spacecraft will be placed in a halo orbit around Lagrange point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system, about 1.5 million km from the Earth. The L1 point is about one per cent of the total distance between the Earth and the Sun.

A satellite in a halo orbit around the L1 point has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultations/eclipses, they said, adding, this will provide a greater advantage in observing solar activities and its effect on space weather in real time.

“This manoeuvre (at around 4pm on Saturday) will bind the Aditya-L1 to a halo orbit around L1. If we don’t do this, there is a possibility that it will continue its journey, maybe towards the Sun,” an ISRO official told PTI on Friday.

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C57) launched the Aditya-L1 spacecraft from the second launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota, on September 2 last year.

After a flight duration of 63 minutes and 20 seconds, it was successfully injected into an elliptical orbit of 235×19500 km around the Earth.

The spacecraft underwent a series of manoeuvres thereafter and headed Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 1(L1), having escaped the Earth’s sphere of influence.

The spacecraft carries seven payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere and the outermost layers of the Sun (the corona) using electromagnetic and particle and magnetic field detectors.

“Using the special vantage point L1, four payloads directly view the Sun and the remaining three payloads carry out in-situ studies of particles and fields at the Lagrange point L1, thus providing important scientific studies of the propagatory effect of solar dynamics in the interplanetary medium,” according to the space agency.

The suits of Aditya L1 payloads are expected to provide the “most crucial information” to understand the problem of coronal heating, coronal mass ejection, pre-flare and flare activities and their characteristics, dynamics of space weather, and propagation of particles and fields, officials said.

The major science objectives of the Aditya-L1 mission are:

  • Study of the Solar upper atmospheric (chromosphere and corona) dynamics.
  • Study of chromosphere and coronal heating, physics of the partially ionized plasma, initiation of the coronal mass ejections, and flares.
  • Observe the in-situ particle and plasma environment, providing data for the study of particle dynamics from the Sun.
  • Physics of the solar corona and its heating mechanism.
  • Diagnostics of the coronal and coronal loops plasma: Temperature, velocity and density.
  • Development, dynamics and origin of coronal mass ejections (CMEs).
  • Identify the sequence of processes that occur at multiple layers (chromosphere, base and extended corona) which eventually leads to solar eruptive events.
  • Magnetic field topology and magnetic field measurements in the solar corona.
  • Drivers for space weather (origin, composition and dynamics of solar wind).

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Scientists Recreate Cosmic Ray Physics Using Cold Atom in New Laboratory Study

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Scientists Recreate Cosmic Ray Physics Using Cold Atom in New Laboratory Study

For the first time, researchers have managed to simulate a fundamental process of cosmic particle acceleration in a laboratory: the first series of discoveries that will transform our understanding of cosmic rays. Now, scientists from the Universities of Birmingham and Chicago have created a tiny, 100-micrometre Fermi accelerator, in which mobile optical potential barriers collide with trapped atoms, in a partial replica of how cosmic particles pick up energy in space. The technique not only replicates cosmic ray behaviour but also sets a new benchmark in quantum acceleration technology.

Lab-Built Fermi Accelerator Using Cold Atoms Validates Cosmic Ray Theory and Advances Quantum Tech

As per findings published in Physical Review Letters, this fully controllable setup demonstrated particle acceleration through the Fermi mechanism first proposed by physicist Enrico Fermi in 1949. Long theorised to underlie cosmic ray generation, the process had never been reliably replicated in a lab. By combining energy gains with particle losses, researchers created energy spectra similar to those observed in space, offering the first direct validation of Bell’s result, a cornerstone of cosmic ray physics.

In Fermi acceleration, ultracold atoms are accelerated to more than 0.5 metres per second using laser-controlled barriers. Dr Amita Deb, a coauthor and researcher at the University of Birmingham, mentioned, ‘Our chimney is more powerful than conventional quantum nano-measurements, which are the best acceleration tools in the world so far, and while its simplicity and small size can be compelling, its lack of a theoretical speed limit is the most attractive feature.’ The ultracold atomic jets could be readily controlled with high precision in the subsequent experiments.

This progress means that, for the first time, complicated astrophysical events like shocks and turbulence can be studied in a laboratory, lead author Dr Vera Guarrera stated. This opens new avenues for high-energy astrophysics and also for applications in quantum wavepacket control and quantum chemistry.

Researchers plan to find out how different behaviour affects energy cutoffs and acceleration rates. A compact Fermi accelerator of this type could be a cornerstone for studies of fundamental physics and also connect to emerging technologies such as atomtronics.

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Scientists Say Dark Matter Could Turn Failed Stars Into ‘Dark Dwarfs’

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Scientists Say Dark Matter Could Turn Failed Stars Into ‘Dark Dwarfs’

Astronomers now propose that “failed stars” known as brown dwarfs could be powered by dark matter. Dark matter makes up about 85 percent of the universe’s matter but does not shine; it interacts only via gravity. Brown dwarfs form like stars but lack enough mass to ignite fusion. The theory suggests brown dwarfs in galaxy centers might trap dark matter in their interiors. When that dark matter annihilates, it releases energy that heats the star, turning the dwarf into a brighter “dark dwarf.” If such objects exist, finding them would give scientists a new clue to the nature of dark matter.

Dark Matter in Failed Stars

According to the new model, dense brown dwarfs at the centers of galaxies act like gravity wells that accumulate dark matter. Because dark matter interacts only via gravity, it naturally drifts to galactic cores, where it can be captured by star. As University of Hawai‘i physicist Jeremy Sakstein explains, once inside a star dark matter can annihilate with itself, releasing energy that heats the dwarf. The more dark matter a brown dwarf collects, the more energy it outputs. Crucially, this effect only works if dark matter particles self-annihilate (as with heavy WIMPs); lighter or non-interacting candidates like axions would not create dark dwarfs.

They propose using a chemical signature: a dark dwarf should hold on to lithium-7 that normal brown dwarfs burn away. The researchers say powerful telescopes like NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope might already be sensitive enough to spot cool, dim dark dwarfs near the Milky Way’s center. Detecting even one would strongly suggest that dark matter is made of heavy, self-interacting particles (like WIMPs).

In related work, Colgate astrophysicist Jillian Paulin coauthored studies of ancient “dark stars” fueled by dark matter, while SLAC physicist Rebecca Leane and collaborators have shown that dark matter capture could heat brown dwarfs and exoplanets – a process called “dark kinetic heating”. Together, these ideas highlight how even dim, unusual stars could illuminate the nature of dark matter.

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New Gel-Based Robotic Skin Feels Touch, Heat, and Damage Like Human Flesh

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New Gel-Based Robotic Skin Feels Touch, Heat, and Damage Like Human Flesh

Researchers have created a novel electronic “skin” that could let robots experience a sense of touch. This low-cost, gelatin-based material is highly flexible and durable and can be molded over a robot hand. Equipped with electrodes, the skin detects pressure, temperature changes, and even sharp damage. In tests it responded to pokes, burns and cuts. Unlike conventional designs that use separate sensors for each stimulus, this single “multi-modal” material simplifies the hardware while providing rich tactile data. The findings, published in Science Robotics, suggest it could be used on humanoid robots or prosthetic limbs to give them a more human-like touch.

Multi-Modal Touch and Heat Sensing

According to the paper, unlike typical robotic skins, which require multiple specialized sensors, the new gel acts as a single multi-modal sensor. Its uniform conductive layer responds differently to a light touch, a temperature change or even a scratch by altering tiny electrical pathways. This design makes the skin simpler and more robust: researchers note it’s easier to fabricate and far less costly than conventional multi-sensor skins. In effect, one stretchy sheet of this material can replace many parts, cutting complexity while maintaining rich sensory feedback.

Testing the Skin and Future Applications

The research team tested the skin by casting the gel into a human-hand shape and outfitting it with electrodes. They put it through a gauntlet of trials: blasting it with a heat gun, pressing it with fingers and a robotic arm, and even slicing it open with a scalpel. Those harsh tests generated over 1.7 million data points from 860,000 tiny conductive channels, which fed into a machine-learning model so the skin could learn to distinguish different types of touch.

UCL’s Dr. Thomas George Thuruthel, a co-author of the study, said the robotic skin isn’t yet as sensitive as human skin but “may be better than anything else out there at the moment.” He noted that the material’s flexibility and ease of manufacture as key advantages. Moreover, the team believes this technology could ultimately help make robots and prosthetic devices with a more lifelike sense of touch.

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