1,173 research outputs found
Different Power-law Indices in the Frequency Distributions of Flares with and without Coronal Mass Ejections
We investigated the frequency distributions of flares with and without
coronal mass ejections (CMEs) as a function of flare parameters (peak flux,
fluence, and duration of soft X-ray flares). We used CMEs observed by the Large
Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) on board the Solar and Heliospheric
Observatory (SOHO) mission and soft X-ray flares (C3.2 and above) observed by
the GOES satellites during 1996 to 2005. We found that the distributions obey a
power-law of the form: dN/dX~X^-alpha, where X is a flare parameter and dN is
the number of events recorded within the interval [X, X+dX]. For the flares
with (without) CMEs, we obtained the power-law index alpha=1.98+-0.05
(alpha=2.52+-0.03) for the peak flux, alpha=1.79+-0.05 (alpha=2.47+-0.11) for
the fluence, and alpha=2.49+-0.11 (alpha=3.22+-0.15) for the duration. The
power-law indices for flares without CMEs are steeper than those for flares
with CMEs. The larger power-law index for flares without CMEs supports the
possibility that nanoflares contribute to coronal heating.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures embedded, accepted for publication in ApJ
Testing the Empirical Shock Arrival Model using Quadrature Observations
The empirical shock arrival (ESA) model was developed based on quadrature
data from Helios (in-situ) and P-78 (remote-sensing) to predict the Sun-Earth
travel time of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) [Gopalswamy et al. 2005a]. The ESA
model requires earthward CME speed as input, which is not directly measurable
from coronagraphs along the Sun-Earth line. The Solar Terrestrial Relations
Observatory (STEREO) and the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) were in
quadrature during 2010 - 2012, so the speeds of Earth-directed CMEs were
observed with minimal projection effects. We identified a set of 20 full halo
CMEs in the field of view of SOHO that were also observed in quadrature by
STEREO. We used the earthward speed from STEREO measurements as input to the
ESA model and compared the resulting travel times with the observed ones from
L1 monitors. We find that the model predicts the CME travel time within about
7.3 hours, which is similar to the predictions by the ENLIL model. We also find
that CME-CME and CME-coronal hole interaction can lead to large deviations from
model predictions.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures, 3 table
A Hierarchical Relationship between the Fluence Spectra and CME Kinematics in Large Solar Energetic Particle Events: A Radio Perspective
We report on further evidence that solar energetic particles are organized by
the kinematic properties of coronal mass ejections (CMEs)[1]. In particular, we
focus on the starting frequency of type II bursts, which is related to the
distance from the Sun where the radio emission starts. We find that the three
groups of solar energetic particle (SEP) events known to have distinct values
of CME initial acceleration, also have distinct average starting frequencies of
the associated type II bursts. SEP events with ground level enhancement (GLE)
have the highest starting frequency (107 MHz), while those associated with
filament eruption (FE) in quiescent regions have the lowest starting frequency
(22 MHz); regular SEP events have intermediate starting frequency (81 MHz).
Taking the onset time of type II bursts as the time of shock formation, we
determine the shock formation heights measured from the Sun center. We find
that the shocks form on average closest to the Sun (1.51 Rs) in GLE events,
farthest from the Sun in FE SEP events (5.38 Rs), and at intermediate distances
in regular SEP events (1.72 Rs). Finally, we present the results of a case
study of a CME with high initial acceleration (~3 km s^-2) and a type II radio
burst with high starting frequency (~200 MHz) but associated with a minor SEP
event. We find that the relation between the fluence spectral index and CME
initial acceleration continues to hold even for this minor SEP event.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, 1 table, to appear in Journal of Physics:
Conference Series (JPCS), Proceedings of the 16th Annual International
Astrophysics Conference held in Santa Fe, NM, 201
The Peculiar Behavior of Halo Coronal Mass Ejections in Solar Cycle 24
We report on a remarkable finding that the halo coronal mass ejections (CMEs)
in cycle 24 are more abundant than in cycle 23, although the sunspot number in
cycle 24 has dropped by about 40%. We also find that the distribution of
halo-CME source locations is different in cycle 24: the longitude distribution
of halos is much flatter with the number of halos originating at central
meridian distance >/=60 degrees twice as large as that in cycle 23. On the
other hand, the average speed and the associated soft X-ray flare size are the
same in the two cycles, suggesting that the ambient medium into which the CMEs
are ejected is significantly different. We suggest that both the higher
abundance and larger central meridian longitudes of halo CMEs can be explained
as a consequence of the diminished total pressure in the heliosphere in cycle
24 (Gopalswamy et al. 2014). The reduced total pressure allows CMEs expand more
than usual making them appear as halos.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journal Letters, April 7, 201
The First Ground Level Enhancement Event of Solar Cycle 24: Direct Observation of Shock Formation and Particle Release Heights
We report on the 2012 May 17 Ground Level Enhancement (GLE) event, which is
the first of its kind in Solar Cycle 24. This is the first GLE event to be
fully observed close to the surface by the Solar Terrestrial Relations
Observatory (STEREO) mission. We determine the coronal mass ejection (CME)
height at the start of the associated metric type II radio burst (i.e., shock
formation height) as 1.38 Rs (from the Sun center). The CME height at the time
of GLE particle release was directly measured from a STEREO image as 2.32 Rs,
which agrees well with the estimation from CME kinematics. These heights are
consistent with those obtained for cycle-23 GLEs using back-extrapolation. By
contrasting the 2012 May 17 GLE with six other non-GLE eruptions from
well-connected regions with similar or larger flare size and CME speed, we find
that the latitudinal distance from the ecliptic is rather large for the non-GLE
events due to a combination of non-radial CME motion and unfavorable solar B0
angle, making the connectivity to Earth poorer. We also find that the coronal
environment may play a role in deciding the shock strength.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures, 1 tabl
Kinematic and Energetic Properties of the 2012 March 12 Polar Coronal Mass Ejection
We report on the energetics of the 2012 March 12 polar coronal mass ejection
(CME) originating from a southern latitude of ~60o. The polar CME is similar to
low-latitude CMEs in almost all respects: three-part morphology, post eruption
arcade (PEA), CME and filament kinematics, CME mass and kinetic energy, and the
relative thermal energy content of the PEA. From polarized brightness images,
we estimate the CME mass, which is close to the average mass of low-latitude
CMEs. The CME kinetic energy (3.3x1030 erg) is also typical of the general
population of CMEs. From photospheric magnetograms, we estimate the free energy
(1.8x1031 erg) in the polar crown source region, which we find is sufficient to
power the CME and the PEA. About 19% of the free energy went into the CME
kinetic energy. We compute the thermal energy content of the PEA (2.3x1029 erg)
and find it to be a small fraction (6.8%) of the CME kinetic energy. This
fraction is remarkably similar to that in active region CMEs associated with
major flares. We also show that the 2012 March 12 is one among scores of polar
CMEs observed during the maximum phase of cycle 24. The cycle 24 polar crown
prominence eruptions have the same rate of association with CMEs as those from
low-latitudes. This investigation supports the view that all CMEs are
magnetically propelled from closed field regions, irrespective of their
location on the Sun (polar crown filament regions, quiescent filament regions
or active regions).Comment: 22 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication n Ap
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