Observational Characteristics of Coronal Mass Ejections without Low-coronal Signatures
Abstract
Solar eruptions are usually associated with a variety of phenomena occurring in the low corona before, during, and after the onset of eruption. Though easily visible in coronagraph observations, so-called stealth coronal mass ejections (CMEs) do not obviously exhibit any of these low-coronal signatures. The presence or absence of distinct low-coronal signatures can be linked to different theoretical models to establish the mechanisms by which the eruption is initiated and driven. In this study, 40 CMEs without low-coronal signatures occurring in 2012 are identified. Their observational and kinematic properties are analyzed and compared to those of regular CMEs. Solar eruptions without clear on-disk or low-coronal signatures can lead to unexpected space weather impacts, since many early warning signs for significant space weather activity are not present in these events. A better understanding of their initiation mechanism(s) will considerably improve the ability to predict such space weather events.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- November 2014
- DOI:
- 10.1088/0004-637X/795/1/49
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1409.1422
- Bibcode:
- 2014ApJ...795...49D
- Keywords:
-
- Sun: activity;
- Sun: corona;
- Sun: coronal mass ejections: CMEs;
- Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 42 pages, 10 figures