WAITING TIMES OF QUASI-HOMOLOGOUS CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS FROM SUPER ACTIVE REGIONS
- CAS Key Laboratory of Geospace Environment, Department of Geophysics and Planetary Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China)
Why and how do some active regions (ARs) frequently produce coronal mass ejections (CMEs)? These are key questions for deepening our understanding of the mechanisms and processes of energy accumulation and sudden release in ARs and for improving our space weather prediction capability. Although some case studies have been performed, these questions are still far from fully answered. These issues are now being addressed statistically through an investigation of the waiting times of quasi-homologous CMEs from super ARs in solar cycle 23. It is found that the waiting times of quasi-homologous CMEs have a two-component distribution with a separation at about 18 hr. The first component is a Gaussian-like distribution with a peak at about 7 hr, which indicates a tight physical connection between these quasi-homologous CMEs. The likelihood of two or more occurrences of CMEs faster than 1200 km s{sup -1} from the same AR within 18 hr is about 20%. Furthermore, the correlation analysis among CME waiting times, CME speeds, and CME occurrence rates reveals that these quantities are independent of each other, suggesting that the perturbation by preceding CMEs rather than free energy input is the direct cause of quasi-homologous CMEs. The peak waiting time of 7 hr probably characterizes the timescale of the growth of the instabilities triggered by preceding CMEs. This study uncovers some clues from a statistical perspective for us to understand quasi-homologous CMEs as well as CME-rich ARs.
- OSTI ID:
- 22078291
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal Letters, Vol. 763, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 2041-8205
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
GRADUAL INFLATION OF ACTIVE-REGION CORONAL ARCADES BUILDING UP TO CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS
SIMULATION OF HOMOLOGOUS AND CANNIBALISTIC CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS PRODUCED BY THE EMERGENCE OF A TWISTED FLUX ROPE INTO THE SOLAR CORONA