arXiv subjects

Bhas Bapat

Publications and source records attributed to Bhas Bapat.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Direct evidence for projectile electronic structure effects in slow multielectron capture collisions

We investigate the role of the electronic structure of the projectile in ionization and subsequent fragmentation of CO$_2$ induced by multielectron capture in collisions at 0.31 a.u. impact velocity. Focusing on the $\text{CO}_2^{3+} \rightarrow \text{O}^+:\text{C}^+:\text{O}^+$ break-up channel as a representative channel, we report kinetic energy release distributions (KERDs) for collisions with equi-velocity N$^{q+}$ and O$^{q+}$ projectiles. We consider two complementary categories of measurements. In the first category, in which different projectiles of the same charge are considered, we find that KERDs obtained with N$^{q+}$ and O$^{q+}$ impact ($q=4,6$) are broadly similar, but they differ significantly from the earlier reported KERD with Ar$^{q+}$ impact. In the second category, pronounced differences are observed between the KERDs obtained with isoelectronic N$^{q+}$ and O$^{(q+1)+}$ ($q=3,5,7$) projectiles. These results provide direct evidence that projectile electronic structure plays a critical role in multielectron capture collisions.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2026

Association between projectile and target excitation in slow Ar$^{q+}$-CO$_2$ collisions

We investigate ionic fragmentation of CO$_2^{n+}$~\mbox{($2\le n\le 4$)} produced in collisions with Ar$^{q+}$~\mbox{($4\le q\le 16$)} projectiles at a collision velocity of $\approx$~0.3~a.u. For most projectile and fragmentation channel combinations, the shape of the kinetic energy release distribution (KERD) differs with the electron capture mediated charge change (\mbox{$\Delta q$}) in the scattered projectile: KERD for \mbox{$\Delta q = 2$} is broader at high KER than for \mbox{$\Delta q =1$}. The difference generally diminishes with increasing projectile charge. Two deviations in this general trend are seen in the fragmentation of CO$_2^{3+}$, one for Ar$^{4+}$ impact in the high KER region and the other for Ar$^{6+}$ impact in the low KER region. The calculated reaction windows for multielectron capture within the framework of the extended classical over-the-barrier model (ECOBM) indicate that while ionization of the target occurs via multielectron capture, the scattered projectile may subsequently undergo multi-fold autoionization. Interpreting projectile autoionization to be a consequence of capture into highly excited states and high fragment KER to be a consequence of excitation of the ionized target to high-lying states, we find a strong dependence between the target and scattered projectile excitations.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2026

Electron capture induced fragmentation of CO$_2^{3+}$: Influence of projectile charge on sequential and concerted break-up pathways

We investigate the $\text{O}^+:\text{C}^+:\text{O}^+$ fragmentation channel of CO$_2^{3+}$ produced in slow collisions with Ar$^{q+}$ projectiles ($4 \le q \le 16$, velocities $\approx 0.3$ a.u). Using the native-frames method, we disentangle the sequential and concerted break-up processes and their corresponding kinetic energy release (KER) distributions. \emph{Ab initio} potential energy curves of CO$_2^{3+}$ are calculated and mapped to the KER spectra to identify the underlying electronic states involved in the fragmentation. While the sequential KER distributions remain nearly unchanged for across the projectile charge range, the concerted KER distributions exhibit pronounced but non-systematic variations with projectile charge. In addition, a low KER feature around 15.5 eV -- previously associated with sequential break-up in electron and proton impact -- is observed for Ar$^{4+}$ impact and, to a lesser extent, for Ar$^{6+}$ impact. It originates predominantly from concerted break-up of the low-lying $^2\Pi_\text{g}$ and $^{2,4}\Pi_\text{u}$ states. Branching ratios of the two break-up pathways deviate from simple monotonic trends for certain projectiles, but barring these exceptions, the fraction of concerted break-up decreases with increasing $q$, while that for sequential break-up increases. These findings underscore the necessity of accounting for the detailed electronic structure of the projectile, rather than its charge alone, to achieve a comprehensive understanding of collisional dynamics in slow, highly charged ion collisions.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2025

Evidence for in situ particle energization during the May-2024 event based on ASPEX instrument on board Aditya-L1

The interaction between interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejection (ICME) structures can alter the geo-effectiveness of the ICME events in myriad ways. Many aspects of these interaction processes are not well-understood till date. Using the energy spectra measured in two mutually orthogonal top hat analyzers (THA 1 and 2), which are part of the Solar Wind Ion Spectrometer (SWIS) subsystem of the Aditya Solar Wind Particle EXperiment (ASPEX) on board India's Aditya L1 mission, we gain insights into intricate features of ICME ICME interactions during May 2024 solar event. We report here an unprecedented two-orthogonal-plane perspective of ICME ICME interactions for the first time from the L1 point. The investigation reveals a special interaction region formed by the propagation of the forward shock driven by complex ejecta in the preceding ICME. The interaction causes the formation of a downstream region spanning over 13 hours, which propagates in the interplanetary medium. The observations reveal that this region serves as a site for proton and alpha particle energization, and the particles within this region get distributed from one plane to the other. The presence of forward shock and particle energization is confirmed by the energetic particle flux measurements by the SupraThermal and Energetic Particle Spectrometer (STEPS) of ASPEX. These observations provide an unprecedented perspective on how solar wind ions become energized and distributed in an ICME-ICME interaction region.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

One Year of ASPEX-STEPS Operation: Characteristic Features, Observations and Science Potential

The SupraThermal and Energetic Particle Spectrometer (STEPS), a subsystem of the Aditya Solar wind Particle EXperiment (ASPEX) onboard India's Aditya-L1 satellite, is designed to study different aspects of energetic particles in the interplanetary medium from the Sun-Earth L1 point using six detector units oriented in different directions. This article presents details of the one-year operation (08 January 2024 - 28 February 2025) of the AL1-ASPEX-STEPS after the insertion of the satellite into the final halo orbit around the L1 point with emphasis on performance, science observations, and scientific potentials. Four out of six AL1-ASPEX-STEPS units exhibit a stable detector response throughout the observation period, confirming operational robustness. This work also includes the temporal variation of particle fluxes, spectra of ions during selected quiet times and transient events, and cross-comparisons with existing instruments at the L1 point. A strong correlation (with coefficient of determination, R2 ~ 0.9) is observed in the cross-comparison study, establishing the reliability of the AL1- ASPEX-STEPS observations. AL1-ASPEX-STEPS also captures different forms of energetic ion spectra similar to those observed by previous missions. These results underscore the instrument's potential to contribute significantly to the study of energetic particle acceleration, transport, and long-term space weather monitoring from the Sun-Earth L1 vantage point.

physics.space-ph↗

arXiv2025

One year of ASPEX-SWIS operation -- Characteristic features, observations and science potential

The Aditya-L1 mission, India's first dedicated solar observatory positioned at the first Lagrange point (L1) of the Sun-Earth system, carries the Solar Wind Ion Spectrometer (SWIS) as part of the ASPEX payload suite. Even before settling into its Halo orbit, SWIS has been providing nearly continuous in-situ measurements of solar wind ion spectra. Moments of the velocity distribution functions (VDFs) have been calculated to derive key solar wind parameters such as density, bulk speed, and temperature. In this study, we assess the performance of SWIS (hereafter referred to as AL1-ASPEX-SWIS) by comparing its measurements with contemporaneous data from the Wind and DSCOVR missions. In this study, we assess the performance of SWIS (hereafter referred to as AL1-ASPEX-SWIS) by comparing its measurements with contemporaneous data from the Wind and DSCOVR missions. A detailed case study of the interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) event on August 7, 2024, is presented, where sharp changes in bulk speed, thermal speed, and number density were found to be well-aligned with independent observations-confirming the instrument's ability to capture dynamic solar wind features. Spectral analysis of kinetic fluctuations revealed a well-defined inertial range with a spectral slope consistent with magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence. Furthermore, a 17-month statistical comparison (from January 2024 to May 2025) shows a strong correlation in bulk velocity (R2 = 0.94 with Wind), with expected variations in thermal speed and density arising from differences between instruments. These findings demonstrate the scientific value of AL1-ASPEX-SWIS for monitoring both transient solar events and long-term solar wind conditions.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

Multi-directional investigations on quiet time suprathermal ions measured by ASPEX-STEPS on-board Aditya L1

The origin, acceleration and anisotropy of suprathermal ions in the interplanetary medium during quiet periods have remained poorly understood issues in solar wind physics. To address these aspects, we derive the spectral indices for the quiet time suprathermal ions based on the measurements by the four directionally separated sensors that are part of the Supra-Thermal and Energetic Particle Spectrometer (STEPS) of Aditya Solar Wind Particle EXperiment (ASPEX) on-board Aditya L1 spacecraft. Three out of four STEPS sensors Parker Spiral (PS), Inter-Mediate (IM), Earth Pointing (EP) are in one plane (nearly aligned with the ecliptic plane) while the fourth sensor North Pointing (NP) is in a mutually orthogonal plane. The energy ranges covered by the PS, IM, EP and NP sensors are 0.36-1.32 MeV, 0.14-1.22 MeV, 0.39-1.33 MeV and 0.12-1.23 MeV respectively. The quiet intervals are identified during January November, 2024 and the derived spectral indices (differential directional flux versus energy) are found to be in the range of 2.0 for all directions in the time scale of a few days revealing isotropic nature of their distribution. Further analysis of elemental abundance ratios (3He/4He, Fe/O, and C/O) during the same quiet intervals obtained from the Ultra-Low Energy Isotope Spectrometer (ULEIS) on board the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft suggests possible contributions from the leftover ions from the previous impulsive (Solar flares) and gradual events (CMEs) in the quiet time suprathermal ion pool.

physics.space-ph↗

arXiv2025

Energetic ($<$ 2 MeV) ion fluxes measured by ASPEX-STEPS on board Aditya-L1 during its earth-bound phase

During its earth-bound phase of the Aditya-L1 spacecraft of India, the Supra-Thermal and Energetic Particle Spectrometer (STEPS) of the Aditya Solar wind Particle EXperiment (ASPEX) was operated whenever the orbit was above 52000 km during 11 - 19 September 2023. This phase of operation provided measurements of energetic ions (with energies 0.1--2 MeV) in the magnetosphere, magnetosheath, and interplanetary medium. Three interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICME) hit the magnetosphere during this period. This provided opportunity to examine the relative roles of ICME-generated solar energetic particles (SEPs) and substorm generated energetic ions on the magnetosphere. We approach this objective by detailed spectral analyses of energetic ion fluxes measured by two units of ASPEX-STEPS. We identify three distinctly different conditions of the north-south component of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF $B_z$ = 0, $>$ 0, and $<$ 0) and use the derived spectral indices to understand this relative role. By combining these with the simultaneous energetic ion flux variations from the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) around the Sun-Earth first Lagrangian (L1) point and the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) in the Earth's magnetosphere, we show that the polarity of IMF $B_z$ influences the energetic ion spectra in the magnetosphere by modulating the interplay of the ICME-generated SEP with the energetic particles generated inside the magnetosphere by substorms. Interestingly, ASPEX-STEPS observations also indicate towards directional anisotropy based on spectral indices. This suggests spatially inhomogeneous mixing of energetic ions coming from different source processes.

physics.space-ph↗

arXiv2021

Coincident angle-resolved state-selective photoelectron spectroscopy of acetylene molecules: a candidate system for time-resolved dynamics

The acetylene-vinylidene system serves as a benchmark for investigations of ultrafast dynamical processes where the coupling of the electronic and nuclear degrees of freedom provides a fertile playground to explore the femto- and sub-femto-second physics with coherent extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) photon sources both on the table-top as well as free-electron lasers. We focus on detailed investigations of this molecular system in the photon energy range $19...40$ eV where EUV pulses can probe the dynamics effectively. We employ photoelectron-photoion coincidence (PEPICO) spectroscopy to uncover hitherto unrevealed aspects of this system. In this work, the role of excited states of the $C_{2}H_{2}^{+}$ cation, the primary photoion, is specifically addressed. From photoelectron energy spectra and angular distributions, the nature of the dissociation and isomerization channels is discerned. Exploiting the $4π$-collection geometry of velocity map imaging spectrometer, we not only probe pathways where the efficiency of photoionization is inherently high but also perform PEPICO spectroscopy on relatively weak channels.

physics.atom-ph↗