MSV-2035 Astronomy Document - Inside Design - FINAL - FINAL

Astronomy & Astrophysics 67 log periodic dipoles set up to probe the coronal magnetic field in the height range 0.2 - 0.8 Rs, above the solar surface. Space Instruments: In the context of space based observations of the Sun, Aditya-L1 space mission, launched in September 2023 is the first national initiative to observe the Sun from space and characterize our space environment. The Aditya-L1 mission was jointly developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and several Indian academic organisations around the country including IIA, PRL, VSSC (ISRO), IUCAA and IISER-Kolkata. Aditya- L1 will observe the Sun's atmospheric dynamics and the genesis of solar magnetic storms and track the propagation of these storms close to the Sun. In-situ instruments will also characterize the near-Earth solar plasma wind properties such as particle andmagnetic fluxes that determine Earth's space environment. While India has a century-long history of ground-based optical observations of the Sun, no large solar-telescope facility has been created in the modern era to match global initiatives. It is imperative to establish a large (2-meter class) ground based solar telescope in the country. 4.3 Enhancing the Utilisation of Existing Facilities As discussed in the previous sections, the Indian astronomical community is operating several observing facilities having different kinds of instruments for decades. We expect these observatories to be operational even in the era of future large facilities. As the Indian astronomy community is embarking on different mega science programmes it is important that the existing observatories and instruments are maintained and upgraded efficiently to cater to the needs of the community at any given time. It is also important that an efficient use is made of the facilities. Belowwe provide possible suggestions that we believe will enable efficient use of the facilities as well as provide ample resources for the growth of the community. ObservatoryUpgrades: In order for the existing observatories to have relevance in the coming decade it is important to have clear upgrade plans (for telescopes as well as associated instruments) for the future. In the case of optical astronomy, many of the telescopes are decades old and require suitable upgrades to increase their efficiency and use in an automated manner. The upgrades should also include instrumentation such as wide field imaging and spectroscopic capabilities and adaptive optics imaging and spectroscopic capabilities. As the user pool of different observatories are the same, it will be more efficient and productive if different institutions coordinate with each other to reach a global road map for instrumentation. This will ensure that a wide range of instruments are available to the Indian astronomers instead of having the same kind of instruments in all the facilities. Common Time Allocation Committee: At present, each individual observatory allocates observing time through a proper review process overseen by a Time Allocation Committee (TAC). Usually, each proposal is reviewed by one or two external experts and the time allocation happens twice or thrice a year. It is well documented that the same set of proposals are submitted to the various facilities, and the evaluation process is somewhat repeated several times. The efficiency of the TAC process and utilisation of different telescopes can be improved with a common, national-level time allocation committee that • • MEGA SCIENCE VISION-2035