skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Early evolution of an energetic coronal mass ejection and its relation to EUV waves

Abstract

We study a coronal mass ejection (CME) associated with an X-class flare whose initiation is clearly observed in the low corona with high-cadence, high-resolution EUV images, providing us a rare opportunity to witness the early evolution of an energetic CME in detail. The eruption starts with a slow expansion of cool overlying loops (∼1 MK) following a jet-like event in the periphery of the active region. Underneath the expanding loop system, a reverse S-shaped dimming is seen immediately above the brightening active region in hot EUV passbands. The dimming is associated with a rising diffuse arch (∼6 MK), which we interpret as a preexistent, high-lying flux rope. This is followed by the arising of a double hot channel (∼10 MK) from the core of the active region. The higher structures rise earlier and faster than lower ones, with the leading front undergoing extremely rapid acceleration up to 35 km s{sup –2}. This suggests that the torus instability is the major eruption mechanism and that it is the high-lying flux rope rather than the hot channels that drives the eruption. The compression of coronal plasmas skirting and overlying the expanding loop system, whose aspect ratio h/r increases with time as amore » result of the rapid upward acceleration, plays a significant role in driving an outward-propagating global EUV wave and a sunward-propagating local EUV wave, respectively.« less

Authors:
; ;  [1]
  1. CAS Key Laboratory of Geospace Environment, Department of Geophysics and Planetary Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026 (China)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22370041
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 797; Journal Issue: 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; ACCELERATION; ASPECT RATIO; COMPRESSION; ERUPTION; EVOLUTION; EXPANSION; EXTREME ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION; HOT CHANNEL; INSTABILITY; MASS; PLASMA; RESOLUTION; SOLAR CORONA; SUN

Citation Formats

Liu, Rui, Wang, Yuming, and Shen, Chenglong. Early evolution of an energetic coronal mass ejection and its relation to EUV waves. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/797/1/37.
Liu, Rui, Wang, Yuming, & Shen, Chenglong. Early evolution of an energetic coronal mass ejection and its relation to EUV waves. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/797/1/37
Liu, Rui, Wang, Yuming, and Shen, Chenglong. 2014. "Early evolution of an energetic coronal mass ejection and its relation to EUV waves". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/797/1/37.
@article{osti_22370041,
title = {Early evolution of an energetic coronal mass ejection and its relation to EUV waves},
author = {Liu, Rui and Wang, Yuming and Shen, Chenglong},
abstractNote = {We study a coronal mass ejection (CME) associated with an X-class flare whose initiation is clearly observed in the low corona with high-cadence, high-resolution EUV images, providing us a rare opportunity to witness the early evolution of an energetic CME in detail. The eruption starts with a slow expansion of cool overlying loops (∼1 MK) following a jet-like event in the periphery of the active region. Underneath the expanding loop system, a reverse S-shaped dimming is seen immediately above the brightening active region in hot EUV passbands. The dimming is associated with a rising diffuse arch (∼6 MK), which we interpret as a preexistent, high-lying flux rope. This is followed by the arising of a double hot channel (∼10 MK) from the core of the active region. The higher structures rise earlier and faster than lower ones, with the leading front undergoing extremely rapid acceleration up to 35 km s{sup –2}. This suggests that the torus instability is the major eruption mechanism and that it is the high-lying flux rope rather than the hot channels that drives the eruption. The compression of coronal plasmas skirting and overlying the expanding loop system, whose aspect ratio h/r increases with time as a result of the rapid upward acceleration, plays a significant role in driving an outward-propagating global EUV wave and a sunward-propagating local EUV wave, respectively.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/797/1/37},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22370041}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal},
issn = {0004-637X},
number = 1,
volume = 797,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Dec 10 00:00:00 EST 2014},
month = {Wed Dec 10 00:00:00 EST 2014}
}