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At least 289 records · Page 16

A study of physical mechanisms for filament eruption and coronal mass ejection via numerical simulation

It is well-known from both observation and theory that photospheric shear motion has played a key role in physical processes of the energy build-up and release for the solar flare. In order to further our understanding of the occurrence of solar flares it is necessary to investigate the triggering mechanism. One popular scenario for the onset of eruptive solar flares is that in response to photospheric shear motions the magnetic field evolves slowly through a series of magnetohydrodynamic-equilibria until a threshold is reached where magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) non-equilibrium sets in. Thus, a magnetic eruption occurs, causing the solar flare. To substantiate this claim we have employed our newly developed three-dimensional time-dependent MHD code with gravity to simulate the evolution of the coronal field. We use plasma beta = 0.1 to closely approximate the condition in the actual corona. Some preliminary results are presented.

Wu, S. T.↗

The speeds of coronal mass ejection events

Results are presented for a systematic study of ejection speeds for the mass-ejection events observed with the white-light coronagraph aboard Skylab. At least 66 such events (most of them not associated with flares) were observed during the Skylab mission. Direct measurements of the displacements of the leading edges of the observed disturbances yield ejection speeds ranging from less than 100 to greater than 1200 km/s, with the average being close to 470 (+ or - 50) km/s; seventy percent of the events are found to have speeds exceeding the escape velocity at 6 solar radii. It is shown that the speeds are loosely correlated with the type of H-alpha activity associated with the mass ejections and that events associated with flares usually have speeds greater than those of events associated with eruptive prominences. Despite their poor quality, statistics indicate that the fastest mass-ejection events tend to produce type II-IV burst pairs, while single type II or type IV bursts tend to be associated with events of intermediate speed.

Gosling, J. T.↗

Magnetohydrodynamic simulation of coronal mass ejections into the solar wind

A state of the art fluid continuum technique to describe the MHD transient respose of the corona below 10 solar radii during two well observed events (flares on 21 August 1973 and 5 September 1973) is reviewed. It is concluded that the computer simulation should be subjected to in situ verification of as many of its initial assumptions as possible. Its ability to provide a rational basis for physical understanding of mass ejections suggests its use as one of the tools used in the planning and analysis of such encounter missions.

Dryer, M.↗