Indian Astrophysicists Study Thermal Evolution of Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections (ICMEs)

Exam-focused facts from the 3 July 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

Indian astrophysicists have published research on the thermal evolution of interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs).
A coronal mass ejection (CME) is a large eruption of charged plasma and magnetic field lines from the Sun's corona.
Geomagnetic storms are produced on Earth if the magnetic field inside an ICME points southward and reconnects with Earth's field.
CMEs occur more frequently during solar maxima within the Sun's 11-year activity cycle.
The study found that approximately 45 per cent of magnetic ejecta show heating, which is linked to high solar activity and strong geomagnetic storms.