Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer on board Aditya-L1: Ground Calibration and In-flight Performance

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Hauptverfasser: Sarwade, Abhilash R., Kushwaha, Ankur, Ramadevi, M. C., Bug, Monoj, Lakshmipathaiah, Kiran, Verma, Smrati, Sharan, Vaishali, Sankarasubramanian, K.
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2025
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author Sarwade, Abhilash R.
Kushwaha, Ankur
Ramadevi, M. C.
Bug, Monoj
Lakshmipathaiah, Kiran
Verma, Smrati
Sharan, Vaishali
Sankarasubramanian, K.
author_facet Sarwade, Abhilash R.
Kushwaha, Ankur
Ramadevi, M. C.
Bug, Monoj
Lakshmipathaiah, Kiran
Verma, Smrati
Sharan, Vaishali
Sankarasubramanian, K.
contents The Solar Low-Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS) on board India's Aditya-L1 mission was launched on 2 September 2023 and commenced solar observations on 13 December 2023 following successful aperture cover deployment. Operating from the Sun-Earth L1 Lagrange point, SoLEXS has been providing continuous Sun-as-a-star soft X-ray spectroscopy across 2-22 keV with 170 eV resolution at 5.9 keV and 1-second temporal cadence since 6 January 2024. The instrument employs two Silicon Drift Detectors with aperture areas of 7.1 mm$^2$ and 0.1 mm$^2$ to accommodate the full dynamic range of solar activity from A-class to X-class flares. This paper presents comprehensive ground and on board calibration procedures that establish SoLEXS's quantitative spectroscopic capabilities. Ground calibration encompassed energy-channel relationships, spectral resolution characterization, instrument response functions, and collimator angular response measurements, with thermo-vacuum testing validating performance stability across operational temperature ranges. On board calibration utilizing an internal $^{55}$Fe source demonstrated preserved post-launch spectral resolution (164.9-171.2 eV), while cross-calibration with GOES-XRS and Chandrayaan-2/XSM confirmed radiometric accuracy and flux agreement. The instrument's 100% observational duty cycle at L1 enables unprecedented continuous monitoring of solar flare evolution across all intensity classes, providing calibrated data for advancing coronal heating mechanisms, flare energetics, and flare-coronal mass ejection relationship studies through soft X-ray spectroscopy.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2509_26292
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer on board Aditya-L1: Ground Calibration and In-flight Performance
Sarwade, Abhilash R.
Kushwaha, Ankur
Ramadevi, M. C.
Bug, Monoj
Lakshmipathaiah, Kiran
Verma, Smrati
Sharan, Vaishali
Sankarasubramanian, K.
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
The Solar Low-Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS) on board India's Aditya-L1 mission was launched on 2 September 2023 and commenced solar observations on 13 December 2023 following successful aperture cover deployment. Operating from the Sun-Earth L1 Lagrange point, SoLEXS has been providing continuous Sun-as-a-star soft X-ray spectroscopy across 2-22 keV with 170 eV resolution at 5.9 keV and 1-second temporal cadence since 6 January 2024. The instrument employs two Silicon Drift Detectors with aperture areas of 7.1 mm$^2$ and 0.1 mm$^2$ to accommodate the full dynamic range of solar activity from A-class to X-class flares. This paper presents comprehensive ground and on board calibration procedures that establish SoLEXS's quantitative spectroscopic capabilities. Ground calibration encompassed energy-channel relationships, spectral resolution characterization, instrument response functions, and collimator angular response measurements, with thermo-vacuum testing validating performance stability across operational temperature ranges. On board calibration utilizing an internal $^{55}$Fe source demonstrated preserved post-launch spectral resolution (164.9-171.2 eV), while cross-calibration with GOES-XRS and Chandrayaan-2/XSM confirmed radiometric accuracy and flux agreement. The instrument's 100% observational duty cycle at L1 enables unprecedented continuous monitoring of solar flare evolution across all intensity classes, providing calibrated data for advancing coronal heating mechanisms, flare energetics, and flare-coronal mass ejection relationship studies through soft X-ray spectroscopy.
title Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer on board Aditya-L1: Ground Calibration and In-flight Performance
topic Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.26292