Origin of Filamentary Structures and Flows in Quiescent Prominences

The paradox of fine vertical structure has usually referred to an apparent contradiction met when comparing vertical fine structures of quiescent prominences observed on the limb with the necessary horizontal magnetic field along their long axis. In addition to this fundamental problem, the very formation of fine vertical structures has been a long standing puzzle. Here we address these problems and show that considering the global structure of a prominence as a large scale skewed formation with toroidal and poloidal fields removes the paradox and allows derivation of dynamic stability criteria. This also includes the mechanism of the fine structure formation and peculiarities of downward mass motions. Theoretical estimates of key parameters are compared with the observations taken with the SOT instrument on Hinode. We find results of comparison very encouraging. For the approximate 3D reconstruction of the general shape of prominences, the STEREO A and B images have been used.