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 2 March 1994) and CORONAS-F (launched on 31 July 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.
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