Latest news with #PhysicalResearchLaboratory
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Dust devils on Mars may spark lightning — possibly threatening NASA's Perseverance rover
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Dust devils on Mars could be crackling with electric currents, according to a new study — and scientists are a little concerned about this because a buildup of such charge could harm rovers rolling along the surface of Mars. "Electrified dust will adhere to conducting surfaces such as wheels, solar panels and antennas. This may diminish the availability of solar energy, harm communications and complicate the motion of rovers and robots," Yoav Yair, a professor at Reichman University in Israel who studies planetary lightning and was not part of the new study, told The study, led by Varun Sheel, head of the Planetary Science Division at the Physical Research Laboratory in India, uses computer models to show how charges could be distributed inside a Martian dust devil. But before getting to how charge buildup works within Red Planet dust devils, it is key to understand how dust devils form on Mars to begin with. As the sun heats the Martian surface, air near the surface gets heated. Hot air is lighter than cool air, and so it tends to rise. Pockets of hot air therefore rise through cold air, rapidly forming an upward current. The sudden uprush causes air to speed horizontally inward to the center of a newly forming vortex. If the conditions are right, the vortex completes formation and starts spinning. As the air continues to rise, the vortex gets stretched vertically — sort of like a noodle — making the vortex spin even more quickly. As the vortex picks up speed, the wind swirls and kicks up dust. This creates a dust devil. In short, dust devils are like little gusts of dust high on adrenaline. Dust devils are frequent on the dry and dusty Martian surface. Mars has lower gravity and a thinner atmosphere compared to Earth. This allows the wind there to kick up dust higher than wind on Earth can. As a result, Martian dust devils can be thrice as large as their terrestrial analogues. NASA's Viking was the first spacecraft to report dust devils on Mars. Later, Mars rovers like Curiosity and Perseverance captured dust devils zooming across the desolate Martian landscape. In general, such whirlwinds can pose a threat to landers and rovers — however, some rovers have actually benefited from dust devils. In 2005, a benevolent dust devil blew dust off the Spirit rover's solar panels, increasing its power levels. Dust devils on Mars, indeed, are a fascinating and curious phenomenon. And deepening the intrigue, the new study suggests lightning could be zapping inside these dust devils on Mars. The most common form of lightning on Earth is the one seen during a thunderstorm. As water and ice churn violently inside a thundercloud, they generate electrical charges due to friction. Once that happens, the atmosphere around the clouds doesn't let these charges flow through easily. This means the charges have nowhere to go and keep building up. At some point, the charges can't hold anymore — and they snap. The charges crack through the atmosphere in the form of an electrically conductive conduit, which we see as lightning. Interestingly, the new study's team explains, a similar kind of churning happens inside dust devils on both Earth and Mars. In the case of dust devils rather than clouds, however, it's the dust particles that are getting churned instead of ice and water droplets. Again, friction builds up charges, and when the charges can't hold any more, the charges release in the form of lightning. To be clear, the formation of a strong electric field precedes lightning and no direct observations of electric fields within dust devils on Mars have been found thus far. Instead, the study uses computer models to estimate the possible electric field strength and distribution within a Martian dust devil. This is, in fact, the first study to consider the size distribution of dust particles. Sheel and his team found that when the atmosphere of Mars is laden with dust, the atmosphere becomes less conductive, prohibiting the flow of charges. This could cause a massive charge buildup in a dust-filled vortex, triggering lightning, he explains. "The possibility that one day we can discover lightning [in these dust devils] is the most exciting aspect of the results," Sheel told In terms of distribution, the study found that larger, positively-charged particles would settle at the bottom of the dust devil while lighter, negatively-charged ones would rise upward. The team also found that larger dust particles would increase the possibility of lightning. "[The paper] adds an original level of complexity by discussing size distributions," Yair said. "This is an important addition to the existing literature, with practical implications." However, regarding the possibility of dust devils generating lightning, Yair says, "I am surprised that the authors discuss the probability of lightning inside the dust devil while neglecting the fact that highly charged dust may discharge at much lower electric fields … negating the possibility of lightning." "In the end, predictions about lightning are very difficult because we don't fully understand how particles charge each other, not even really on Earth. … Ultimately, I think the question will be settled only [by] direct observations on Mars," Steven Desch, a professor of astrophysics at Arizona State University, who was also not involved in the study, told RELATED STORIES — NASA's Curiosity rover takes a closer look at 'spiderwebs' on Mars | Space photo of the day for July 1, 2025 — NASA budget cuts threaten Europe's already troubled flagship Mars rover — Turning the Red Planet green? It's time to take terraforming Mars seriously, scientists say Some progress may have happened on that front, too. A recent study — shared by a group led by Baptiste Chide of the Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, France at the European Geosciences Union General Assembly in Vienna in May — may have recorded the thunder from an electrical discharge. "Electrical discharges such as lightning are among the most energetic and remarkable phenomena in planetary atmospheres," write the authors in their paper. They studied sounds recorded by the SuperCam microphone onboard the NASA Perseverance rover on Mars. The recordings showed signs of coming from an electric discharge in a dust devil. This is the first such direct detection on Mars, setting the stage for newer discoveries by upcoming Mars missions such as the European Space Agency's Rosalind Franklin rover. The study was published in the journal Physics of Plasmas in March. Solve the daily Crossword
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
A'bad scientist loses 2L to online investment fraud
Ahmedabad: A 49-year-old woman from the Bopal area of Ahmedabad, who works with the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), filed a police complaint on Monday after losing Rs 2 lakh to an online investment fraud between May 5 and 22. According to the complaint, she was browsing Facebook when she saw a post about an investment opportunity. She contacted a number mentioned in the online post, which led to further discussions on WhatsApp. She was asked to fill out a form and later received messages from a person who introduced herself as Aradhya Mishra. The complainant was told to download a mobile application for investment purposes. She was then asked to begin investing money. Following the instructions, she made two online transfers of Rs 50,000 each on May 7 and 8. She was shown that her investments had registered a profit. On May 20, she transferred Rs 1.21 lakh and on May 21, Rs 2 lakh more to different accounts through an online payment method for investment purposes. The next day, she was asked to deposit an additional Rs 2.5 lakh to claim ownership of a share in an initial public offering (IPO). by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cuối cùng, chơi miễn phí game chiến thuật hay nhất 2025! Sea of Conquest Phát ngay Undo At this point, she suspected fraud and decided not to make any more payments, the FIR states. She called the national cybercrime helpline 1930 and received an acknowledgement. She then filed a complaint with Satellite police. The woman alleged that the accused gained her trust through false promises and cheated her by not returning the money. Satellite police registered an FIR of cheating and breach of trust under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita along with charges of the Information Technology Act and began an investigation.
Time of India
07-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Study links Kopargaon meteorite to historic Japanese mission
Pune: A meteorite that crashed through the roof of Kiran Babanrao Thakre's house at Kopargaon village in Ahilyanagar district of Maharashtra has astonished scientists by revealing a direct link to Itokawa — the asteroid that Japan's Hayabusa mission famously sampled and brought back to Kopargaon meteorite wasn't just any space rock. Tests conducted at the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), under the Union govt's department of space, in Ahmedabad showed that it shared striking similarities with samples collected from asteroid Itokawa by Japan's Hayabusa spacecraft — the first mission to ever return with samples from an asteroid to Earth."The space rock, which left a two-inch crater in Thakre's bedroom floor and shattered into pieces weighing less than 1kg, contained similar rare mineral composition as samples retrieved by the Japanese spacecraft in 2010," said Dwijesh Ray, the PRL scientist involved in the in 2010 accomplished what was once thought impossible. It collected dust from an asteroid and returned to Earth."We've only been able to visit a handful of asteroids with spacecraft, so having a piece of one land in someone's house gives us an opportunity to study these ancient objects without the expense of another space mission. This unexpected link between a village in Maharashtra and Japan's famous space programme offers fresh insights into our solar system's turbulent past, revealing new details about the cosmic processes that shaped Earth and neighbouring planets billions of years ago," Ray said meteorites that could be traced back to their exact asteroid source were incredibly rare. "We know meteorites come from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, but usually, we can't tell exactly which asteroid they came from. This match with Itokawa is crucial because it allows us to connect what we see in space with what lands on Earth," Ray like the Kopargaon specimen are known as chondrites — ancient rocks that formed over 4.5 billion years ago and contain clues about the solar system's earliest days. "They may even have delivered water and the raw ingredients for life to early Earth. By linking meteorites to their parent asteroids, we can better predict how asteroid surfaces evolve, which helps in planning future space missions, resource exploration and even planetary defence," he said."Space agencies worldwide are now sending missions to collect samples from different types of asteroids. These missions help identify which meteorites come from which asteroids, study valuable minerals that might be mined in the future and learn how space conditions affect asteroid surfaces. Understanding asteroids better also helps scientists develop plans to protect Earth from potential impacts," Ray added.
New Indian Express
02-05-2025
- Science
- New Indian Express
Study shows Shiva Shakti point ideal for lunar sample collection
BENGALURU: The Shiva Shakti Point, the landing site of Chandrayaan-3 moon lander Vikram, is significant not only as a milestone in India's space achievements but also as a key site for lunar sample collection. This has been confirmed by researchers from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in a recent study. According to scientists, the Chandrayaan-3 landing site offers a promising opportunity to access primitive mantle samples — materials that are notably absent in the current lunar collections obtained by other space agencies. Researchers from the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad analysed the presence of volatile elements near the Moon's south polar region. They used the Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometers (APXS) onboard the Pragyan rover, as part of the Chandrayaan-3 mission. Their findings suggest that the site is highly suitable for future missions focused on sample collection and the study of the Moon's evolution. In their study, the scientists compared the elemental abundances measured by the APXS with existing datasets. They observed an unusual depletion of sodium and potassium, along with elevated levels of sulfur in the soil at the landing site. A recent study published in Nature Communications Earth and Environment, titled 'Chandrayaan-3 APXS Elemental Abundance Measurements at Lunar High Latitude', also confirmed the presence of primitive lunar mantle materials at the landing site. These materials were likely excavated during the formation of the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin about 4.3 billion years ago and were subsequently redistributed by later impacts on the SPA basin ejecta, the ISRO report stated. The primitive mantle is believed to have contributed to the excess sulfur, which mixed with other materials at the landing site. The low concentrations of sodium and potassium suggest that potassium, rare earth elements, and phosphorus (KREEP) were likely absent in this region during the SPA basin's formation.
Hindustan Times
01-05-2025
- Science
- Hindustan Times
Potential presence of primitive lunar mantle materials on Chandrayaan-3 landing site: Study
A new study by the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad, has found the potential presence of primitive lunar mantle materials, which is likely to have been formed during the formation of the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin 4.3 billion years ago, at the Chandrayaan-3 landing site. SPA basin is one of the Moon's largest and oldest impact features in the solar system. The Chandrayaan-3 landing site is located 350kms from the basin. Researchers said the findings, published in Nature Communications Earth and Environment on Wednesday, could aid in the study of the early evolution of the Moon. Analysing the concentrations of volatiles (chemical elements and compounds) measured by the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS), an instrument on-board the Pragyan rover at Shiv Shakti statio near the South Polar Region, the 12-member team found high levels of sulphur at the Chandrayaan-3 highland landing site in the range of 900-1400 ppm, which was 300-500 ppm (parts per million) higher than in soil samples from lunar highlands from in Apollo 16 and Luna 20 missions. However, the levels of sodium and potassium from the Chandrayaan-3 landing site was found to be much lower at 700-2800ppm and 300-400 ppm respectively as compared to the earlier missions. The APXS experiment was designed and developed by PRL, a unit of the department of space. Researchers said the differences in the concentrations of these volatile elements as compared to those found in Apollo 16 and Luna 20 missions make it important to investigate the probable source that led to their enrichment or depletion at the Chandrayaan-3 landing site. Explaining how the team arrived at the present conclusion, Rishitosh K Sinha, lead author of the study said that on the Moon, around 400-1000 ppm of sulphur can come from Type I carbonaceous chondrite (CC) meteorites crashing on the lunar surface. 'However, this is still less by 200-400 ppm than what APXS measured at the landing site. Moreover, the surface temperatures at the landing site, which is located at 70 degrees south in the Southern Polar region, is much higher for sulphur to condense in the plume as compared to if the site was closer (85-90 degrees) to the South Pole,' said Sinha. Closer to the South Pole, where surface temperatures are lower, sulphur can condense into solid form. Therefore, said Sinha, there had to be another source of sulphur that increased its concentration at the landing site. 'The other possible source for excess sulphur therefore would be the primitive lunar mantle material that would have thrown up during the SPA basin formation.' He further explained that the low levels of sodium and potassium at the Chandrayaan-3 landing site as opposed to the Apollo 16 and Luna 20 missions suggests that potassium, rare earth elements, and phosphorus (called KREEP) might not have existed at the place and time of SPA basin formation. 'This new finding therefore makes the Chandrayaan-3 landing site a promising site to access primitive mantle samples, which is otherwise lacking in the existing lunar collections,' said Sinha. Sinha said during the end of the lunar magma ocean (LMO) crystallisation stages, when the Moon's initial molten state solidified, the residual molten layer became enriched in a mineral called Troilite (FeS). 'We have proposed that the SPA basin impact event excavated this FeS from the sulphur-enriched primitive lunar mantle, while the KREEP layer was still in the process of formation. The subsequent impacts on the SPA basin ejecta stirred things up, mixing sulfur-rich materials from the SPA basin with the nearby material at the landing site,' he said. On August 23, 2023, the Chandrayaan-3 mission made the first successful landing in the South Polar region of the Moon following which APXS directly measured the elemental composition of the Moon's surface at Shiv Shakti statio, an unexplored location, in the southern high-latitude highlands of the nearside of the Moon. Last year, a study published in Nature by the same group had found evidence of high magnesium in the soil at the same landing site that could have originated from the deeper layers of the Moon. It provided clues for the presence of lower crust and/or upper mantle materials at the landing site. 'High magnesium also comes from the mantle. With evidence of high concentrations of sulphur now, the present study becomes robust since it complements the previous study.' Anil Bhardwaj, Director PRL, also a co-author in this study, said that finding primitive mantle material is important because Apollo and Luna missions only comprised collections of lunar samples. 'We really don't have samples from the lunar mantle. These samples are crucial to understand how the Moon was formed, what connection does it have with the Earth, presence and proportion of volatile elements in the lunar interior and how it evolved over time,' said Bhardwaj. Commenting on the significance of the study, Rajesh VJ, professor, department of earth and space sciences at the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, who was not involved with the study, said, the primitive mantle material from any planetary bodies is significant, as it provides vital information about the chemical composition of the early materials (rocks/minerals) present towards the deeper part (especially the mantle), before it underwent any sort of petrological modifications. Hence, these materials are used by geoscientists to understand the origin and early evolution of a planetary body. 'The discovery of sulphur-rich primitive mantle materials provides a rare opportunity for planetary scientists to conduct detailed investigations of the early evolution of the Moon. It provides the scientific community with more vital information about the composition of the lunar interior and its volatile contents,' he said.
