The Kerala government launched its ambitious virtual learning programme, with the help of Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE), targeting 4.5 million students in the state from 1 June 2020. The step was both challenging and progressive, considering the digital divide in the state. This study examines the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the education of Adivasi communities in Kerala.
The extragalactic background light (EBL) is the radiation at all wavelengths accumulated throughout the entire age of the Universe. The full spectrum of EBL captures the energy released by all stars and active supermassive blackholes (quasars), as well as the energy absorbed and reprocessed by the dust and gas in between. Direct observations of the EBL are only possible in the local Universe (see figure below for local observations and our model), and impossible at extreme UV wavelengths because of the shielding from the interstellar medium of our Milky-Way.
The Global View of Star Formation in the Milky Way (GLOSTAR) survey is a blind survey of the Galactic Plane in the 4 – 8 GHz range of frequencies using the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array, carried out by an international collaboration including IIST. The data are taken with the telescope being in both D and B configurations in order to get good resolution along with sensitivity at large angular scales.
A supernova explosion heralds the death of a massive star and a supernova remnant represents the heated leftover gaseous matter of this event in the neighbourhood. The supernova remnant G351.7, was discovered using GMRT by a team led by IIST. In addition, a jet of atomic hydrogen has been found emanating from a region in the supernova remnant G351.7 in a follow-up study. This is the first time that such a highly collimated HI jet from a SNR has been detected.
Globular clusters are the best laboratories to study the evolution of stars. The globular cluster NGC 2808 was studied in ultraviolet using the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) on-board AstroSat by a team led by IIST researchers. Using different wavebands (filters), the team discovered the presence of a distinct group of red horizontal branch stars in the cluster, which sheds light on the understanding of multiple populations within the cluster.
We investigated the mineralogy and chemical variations of the mare basaltic units in the Mare Humorum on the Moon’s nearside using orbital remote sensing data. Basalts of Imbrian-Eratosthenian periods occur in the Mare Humorum. Hyperspectral data from Moon Mineralogy Mapper onboard Chandrayaan-1 mission showed pigeonites and augites as the major compositions in these basaltic units. The compositional trend between pigeonites and augites point towards the differentiation of the basaltic magma while cooling.
Mare basalts on the Moon are believed to have been formed by remelting of the lunar interior after the initial differentiation episode through serial magmatism. Our study investigated the spectral and chemical characteristics and ages of the nearside mare basaltic units from the Grimaldi basin, namely Mare Grimaldi and Mare Riccioli, using orbital remote sensing data. Distinct and younger basaltic units of higher FeO, TiO2, and olivine abundances are characteristics of the Mare Grimaldi and Mare Riccioli.
Dr. Byrana Nagappa Suresh assumed charge as Chancellor, IIST on 6th November 2017. Dr. B N Suresh, an aerospace scientist. served as the founder Director of IIST. He was the Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram during the period 2003-2007. He is known for his contribution to Space Capsule Recovery Experiments (SRE). He retired from IIST in November 2010. Presently he is serving as Vikram Sarabhai Distinguished Professor at ISRO Headquarters since November 2010. He was also distinguished Professor at IIT, Mumbai and MIT, Manipal.
The unusual eastward recurvature followed by the weakening and rapid intensification of tropical cyclone Nargis is explained using the high resolution ensemble forecasts generated from Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF) data assimilation system
Caption: The figure shows the equivalent potential temperature in color shadings and the horizontal wind vectors in (a). Ensemble forecast track from baseline ensemble simulation and modified horizontal temperature ensemble simulation is depicted in blue and red color, respectively in (b)
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