Association Of Coronal Mass Ejections Research Articles

Type II radio bursts and their association with coronal mass ejections in solar cycles 23 and 24

Context. Meter-wavelength type II solar radio bursts are thought to be the signatures of shock-accelerated electrons in the corona. Studying these bursts can give information about the initial kinematics, dynamics, and energetics of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in the absence of white-light observations. Aims. We investigate the occurrence of type II bursts in solar cycles 23 and 24 and their association with CMEs. We also explore whether type II bursts might occur in the absence of a CME. Methods. We performed a statistical analysis of type II bursts that occurred between 200 and 25 MHz in solar cycles 23 and 24 and determined the temporal association of these radio bursts with CMEs. We categorized the CMEs based on their linear speed and angular width and studied the distribution of type II bursts with fast (≥500 km s−1), slow (< 500 km s−1), wide (≥60°), and narrow (< 60°) CMEs. We explored the dependence of type II bursts occurrence on the phases of the solar cycle. Results. Our analysis shows that during solar cycles 23 and 24, 768 and 435 type II bursts occurred, respectively. Of these, 79% were associated with CMEs in solar cycle 23, and 95% were associated with CMEs in solar cycle 24. However, only 4% and 3% of the total number of CMEs were accompanied by type II bursts in solar cycle 23 and 24, respectively. Most of the type II bursts in both cycles were related to fast and wide CMEs (48%). We also determined the typical drift rate and duration for type II bursts, which is 0.06 MHz s−1 and 9 min. Our results suggest that type II bursts dominate at heights ≈1.7 − 2.3 ± 0.3 R⊙. A clear majority have an onset height around 1.7 ± 0.3 R⊙ assuming the four-fold Newkirk model. Conclusions. The results indicate that most of the type II bursts had a white-light CME counterpart, but a few type II bursts lacked a clear CME association. There were more CMEs in cycle 24 than in cycle 23. However, cycle 24 contained fewer type II radio bursts than cycle 23. The onset heights of type II bursts and their association with wide CMEs reported in this study indicate that the early lateral expansion of CMEs may play a key role in the generation of these radio bursts.

Uncovering the process that transports magnetic helicity to coronal mass ejection flux ropes

Magnetic helicity, an intrinsic property of eruptive helical flux ropes (FRs) forming coronal mass ejections (CMEs), plays an important role in determining CME geoeffectiveness. In the solar atmosphere and heliosphere, helicity remains conserved in a closed volume. Considering this fact as a basis of our study, we perform a quantitative comparison between total magnetic helicity and twisted flux in interplanetary CMEs and those transported to CMEs via magnetic reconnection at low corona. At the source, twisted/poloidal flux (ϕpcme) of CMEs is directly estimated from total reconnection flux, and CME helicity (Hcme) is obtained by combining reconnection flux information with CME physical parameters. At 1 AU, the twisted/poloidal flux (ϕpmc) and helicity (Hmc) of CMEs are obtained from in situ observations. Considering uncertainties steaming from FR length, reconnection flux and CME physical parameter estimations, poloidal flux and helicity of CMEs at 1 AU are found to be highly relevant (ϕpmcϕpcme = 0.4–1.5, HmcHcme = 0.3–1) to low-corona magnetic reconnection at the wake of CMEs. This result remains unchanged despite CME association with pre-existing FRs. We show that a significant reduction in CME helicity during its heliospheric propagation may result from a high rate of FR erosion in the interplanetary medium. Our event analysis confirms that CME’s intrinsic magnetic properties are transported to CME FRs during magnetic reconnection at sheared coronal arcades. A one-to-one correspondence between the chirality of 1-AU CMEs and their pre-eruptive structures complies with the fact that the sense of field line rotations in FRs may remain unchanged during coronal reconnection at the source. By connecting intrinsic magnetic properties of FRs through Sun-Earth medium, this study provides important implications for the origin of geoeffectiveness in CMEs.

Relationship between three-dimensional velocity of filament eruptions and CME association

It is widely recognised that filament disappearances or eruptions are frequently associated with Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). Since CMEs are a major source of disturbances of the space environment surrounding the Earth, it is important to investigate these associations in detail for the better prediction of CME occurrence. However, the proportion of filament disappearances associated with CMEs is under debate. The estimates range from sim 10 to sim 90% and could be affected by the manners to select the events. In this study, we aim to reveal what parameters control the association between filament eruptions and CMEs. We analysed the relationships between CME associations and the physical parameters of filaments including their length, maximum ascending velocity, and direction of eruptions using 28 events of filament eruptions observed in Halpha. We found that the product of the maximum radial velocity and the filament length is well correlated with the CME occurrence. If the product is larger than 8.0 times 10^{6}text {km}^{2}text {s}^{-1}, the filament will become a CME with a probability of 93%, and if the product is smaller than this value, it will not become a CME with a probability of 100%. We suggest a kinetic-energy threshold above which filament eruptions are associated with CMEs. Our findings also suggest the importance of measuring the velocity vector of filament eruption in three-dimensional space for the better prediction of CME occurrence.

An association of CMEs with solar flares detected by Fermi γ-ray burst monitor during solar cycle 24

By performing certain spatial and temporal criteria, we obtained 492 CME events simultaneously associated with GBM solar flare events (hereafter, GBM-flare–CME) from the total number 5123 Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) solar flares and 15228 Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) detected during the solar cycle 24 (2008–2019). Among these 492 events, which represent about 9.6% of the total number of the detected GBM flares, there are just 381 events (77.4%) representing the CMEs associated with the flares that are detected instantly by both GBM and RHESSI detectors. We found no significant distinction in the results after applying the spatial criteria compared with those arising from applying the temporal criteria only.Actually, all CMEs are ejected within the flare's preflare and the impulsive phases only. From our results, we conclude that the GBM flares whose long duration are most frequently associated with faster and wider CMEs and vice versa. In addition, the longer the flare's duration, the more interval time between the start time of GBM solar flare and CME's ejection time through a linear correlation [Mean Interval = 0.464 × Duration (min)] with a correlation coefficient equals 0.93. We conclude also that, the highly probable, γ-ray emitting flares (detected by GBM only) have a shorter duration and time interval than X-ray flares (detected also by RHESSI). As well as the GBM - CMEs events, without RHESSI associated CMEs are faster and wider than those associated with RHESSI events.

Halo coronal mass ejections during Solar Cycle 24: reconstruction of the global scenario and geoeffectiveness

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs), in particular Earth-directed ones, are regarded as the main drivers of geomagnetic activity. In this study, we present a statistical analysis of a set of 53 fast (V ≥ 1000 km·s−1) Earth-directed halo CMEs observed by the SOHO/LASCO instrument during the period Jan. 2009–Sep. 2015, and we then use this CME sample to test the forecasting capabilities of a new Sun-to-Earth prediction scheme for the geoeffectiveness of Earth-directed halo CMEs. First, we investigate the CME association with other solar activity features such as solar flares, active regions, and others, by means of multi-instrument observations of the solar magnetic and plasma properties, with the final aim of identifying recurrent peculiar features that can be used as precursors of CME-driven geomagnetic storms. Second, using coronagraphic images to derive the CME kinematical properties at 0.1 AU, we propagate the events to 1 AU by means of 3D global MHD simulations. In particular, we use the WSA-ENLIL+Cone model to reconstruct the propagation and global evolution of each event up to their arrival at Earth, where simulation results are compared with interplanetary CME (ICME) in-situ signatures. We then use simulation outputs upstream of Earth to predict their impact on geospace. By applying the pressure balance condition at the magnetopause and the coupling function proposed by Newell et al. [J Geophys Res: Space Phys 113 (2008)] to link upstream solar wind properties to the global Kp index, we estimate the expected magnetospheric compression and geomagnetic activity level, and compare our predictions with global data records. The analysis indicates that 82% of the fast Earth-directed halo CMEs arrived at Earth within the next 4 days. Almost the totality of them compressed the magnetopause below geosynchronous orbits and triggered a minor or major geomagnetic storm afterwards. Among them, complex sunspot-rich active regions associated with X- and M-class flares are the most favourable configurations from which geoeffective CMEs originate. The analysis of related Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) events shows that 74% of the CMEs associated with major SEPs were geoeffective, i.e. they triggered a minor to intense geomagnetic storm (Kp ≥ 5). Moreover, the SEP production is enhanced in the case of fast and interacting CMEs. In this work we present a first attempt at applying a Sun-to-Earth geoeffectiveness prediction scheme − based on 3D simulations and solar wind-geomagnetic activity coupling functions − to a statistical set of fast Earth-directed, potentially geoeffective halo CMEs. The results of the prediction scheme are promising and in good agreement with the actual data records for geomagnetic activity. However, we point out the need for future studies performing a fine-tuning of the prediction scheme, in particular in terms of the evaluation of the CME input parameters and the modelling of their internal magnetic structure.

Stellar coronal mass ejections – I. Estimating occurrence frequencies and mass-loss rates

Stellar coronal mass ejections (CMEs) may play an important role in mass- and angular momentum loss of young Sun-like stars. If occurring frequently, they may also have a strong effect on planetary evolution by increasing atmospheric erosion. So far it has not been possible to infer the occurrence frequency of stellar CMEs from observations. Based on their close relation with flares on the Sun, we develop an empirical model combining solar flare–CME relationships with stellar flare rates to estimate the CME activity of young Sun-like and late-type main-sequence stars. By comparison of the obtained CME mass-loss rates with observations of total mass-loss rates, we find that our modelled rates may exceed those from observations by orders of magnitude for the most active stars. This reveals a possible limit to the extrapolation of such models to the youngest stars. We find that the most uncertain component in the model is the flare–CME association rate adopted from the Sun, which does not properly account for the likely stronger coronal confinement in active stars. Simple estimates of this effect reveal a possible suppression of CME rates by several orders of magnitude for young stars, indicating that this issue should be addressed in more detail in the future.

Association of CMEs with solar surface activity during the rise and maximum phases of solar cycles 23 and 24

The cyclical behaviors of sunspots, flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) for 54 months from 2008 November to 2013 April after the onset of Solar Cycle (SC) 24 are compared, for the first time, with those of SC 23 from 1996 November to 2001 April. The results are summarized below. (i) During the maximum phase, the number of sunspots in SC 24 is significantly smaller than that for SC 23 and the number of flares in SC 24 is comparable to that of SC 23. (ii) The number of CMEs in SC 24 is larger than that in SC 23 and the speed of CMEs in SC 24 is smaller than that of SC 23 during the maximum phase. We individually survey all the CMEs (1647 CMEs) from 2010 June to 2011 June. A total of 161 CMEs associated with solar surface activity events can be identified. About 45% of CMEs are associated with quiescent prominence eruptions, 27% of CMEs only with solar flares, 19% of CMEs with both active-region prominence eruptions and solar flares, and 9% of CMEs only with active-region prominence eruptions. Comparing the association of the CMEs and their source regions in SC 24 with that in SC 23, we notice that the characteristics of source regions for CMEs during SC 24 may be different from those of SC 23.

Statistical Study of the CME-Solar Flares Associated Events

The aim of this paper is studying the relation between the coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and their associated solar flares. I used the CMEs data (obtained from CME catalogue) which observed by SOHO/LASCO, during the Solar Cycle 23rd (1996–2006), during this period I selected 12,433 CME records. Also I used the X-ray flares data which provided geostationary operational environmental satellite (GOES), during the same interval in the 1–8 A GOES channel, the recorded flare events are 22,688. I filtered these CMEs and solar flare events to select 529 CME-Flare events. I found that there is a moderate relation between the solar flare fluxes and their associated CME energies, where R = 58 %. In addition I found that 61 % of the CME-Flare associated events ejected from the solar surface after the occurrence of the associated flare. Furthermore I found that the CME-Flare relation improved during the period of high solar activity. Finally, I examined the CME association rate as a function of flare longitude and I found that the CME association rate of the total 529 selected CME-Flare events are mostly disk-Flare events.

Statistical relationship between solar flares and coronal mass ejections

AbstractWe report on the statistical relationships between solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) observed during 1996-2007 inclusively. We used soft X-ray flares observed by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) and CMEs observed by the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) mission. Main results are (1) the CME association rate increases with flare's peak flux, fluence, and duration, (2) the difference between flare and CME onsets shows a Gaussian distribution with the standard deviation σ = 17 min (σ = 15 min) for the first (second) order extrapolated CME onset, (3) the most frequent flare site is under the center of the CME span, not near one leg (outer edge) of the CMEs, (4) a good correlation was found between the flare fluence versus the CME kinetic energy. Implications for flare-CME models are discussed.

X-ray emission characteristics of flares associated with CMEs

We present the study of 20 solar flares observed by “Solar X-ray Spectrometer (SOXS)” mission during November 2003 to December 2006 and found associated with coronal mass ejections (CMEs) seen by LASCO/SOHO mission. In this investigation, X-ray emission characteristics of solar flares and their relationship with the dynamics of CMEs have been presented. We found that the fast moving CMEs, i.e., positive acceleration are better associated with short rise time (< 150 s) flares. However, the velocity of CMEs increases as a function of duration of the flares in both 4.1–10 and 10–20 keV bands. This indicates that the possibility of association of CMEs with larger speeds exists with long duration flare events. We observed that CMEs decelerate with increasing rise time, decay time and duration of the associated X-ray flares. A total 10 out of 20 CMEs under current investigation showed positive acceleration, and 5 of them whose speed did not exceed 589 km/s were associated with short rise time (< 150 s) and short duration (< 1300 s) flares. The other 5 CMEs were associated with long duration or large rise time flare events. The unusual feature of all these positive accelerating CMEs was their low linear speed ranging between 176 and 775 km/s. We do not find any significant correlation between X-ray peak intensity of the flares with linear speed as well as acceleration of the associated CMEs. Based on the onset time of flares and associated CMEs within the observing cadence of CMEs by LASCO, we found that in 16 cases CME preceded the flare by 23 to 1786 s, while in 4 cases flare occurred before the CME by 47 to 685 s. We argue that both events are closely associated with each other and are integral parts of one energy release system.

Visibility of coronal mass ejections as a function of flare location and intensity

We report the visibility (detection efficiency) of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) of the Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). We collected 1301 X‐ray flare events (above C3 level) detected by the GOES satellite and examined their CME associations using data from LASCO coronagraphs. The CME visibility was examined using the longitudinal variation of CME association of X‐ray flares, under the assumption that all CMEs associated with limb flares are detectable by LASCO. Our findings are (1) the CME association rate clearly increased with X‐ray flare size from 20% for C‐class flares (between C3 and C9 levels) to 100% for huge flares (above X3 level), (2) all CMEs associated with X‐class flares were detected by the LASCO coronagraphs, while half (25–67%) of CMEs associated with C‐class flares were invisible. We examined the statistical properties of the flare‐associated CMEs and compared them by flare size and longitude. CMEs associated with X‐class flares were significantly faster (median 1556 km/s) and wider (median 244°) than those of CMEs associated with disk C‐class flares (432 km/s, 68°). We conclude that all fast and wide CMEs are detectable by LASCO, but slow and narrow CMEs may not be visible when the CMEs originate from the disk center.

The association of coronal mass ejections with their effects near the Earth

Abstract. To this day, the prediction of space weather effects near the Earth suffers from a fundamental problem: The radial propagation speed of "halo" CMEs (i.e. CMEs pointed along the Sun-Earth-line that are known to be the main drivers of space weather disturbances) towards the Earth cannot be measured directly because of the unfavorable geometry. From inspecting many limb CMEs observed by the LASCO coronagraphs on SOHO we found that there is usually a good correlation between the radial speed and the lateral expansion speed Vexp of CME clouds. This latter quantity can also be determined for earthward-pointed halo CMEs. Thus, Vexp may serve as a proxy for the otherwise inaccessible radial speed of halo CMEs. We studied this connection using data from both ends: solar data and interplanetary data obtained near the Earth, for a period from January 1997 to 15 April 2001. The data were primarily provided by the LASCO coronagraphs, plus additional information from the EIT instrument on SOHO. Solar wind data from the plasma instruments on the SOHO, ACE and Wind spacecraft were used to identify the arrivals of ICME signatures. Here, we use "ICME" as a generic term for all CME effects in interplanetary space, thus comprising not only ejecta themselves but also shocks as well. Among 181 front side or limb full or partial halo CMEs recorded by LASCO, on the one hand, and 187 ICME events registered near the Earth, on the other hand, we found 91 cases where CMEs were uniquely associated with ICME signatures in front of the Earth. Eighty ICMEs were associated with a shock, and for 75 of them both the halo expansion speed Vexp and the travel time Ttr of the shock could be determined. The function Ttr=203-20.77*ln (Vexp) fits the data best. This empirical formula can be used for predicting further ICME arrivals, with a 95% error margin of about one day. Note, though, that in 15% of comparable cases, a full or partial halo CME does not cause any ICME signature at Earth at all; every fourth partial halo CME and every sixth limb halo CME does not hit the Earth (false alarms). Furthermore, every fifth transient shock or ICME or isolated geomagnetic storm is not caused by an identifiable partial or full halo CME on the front side (missing alarms).

Coronal Shocks of November 1997 Revisited: The Cme?Type II Timing Problem

We re-examine observations bearing on the origin of metric type II bursts for six impulsive solar events in November 1997. Previous analyses of these events indicated that the metric type IIs were due to flares (either blast waves or ejecta). Our point of departure was the study of Zhang et al. (2001) based on the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph’s C1 instrument (occulting disk at 1.1 R0) that identified the rapid acceleration phase of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) with the rise phase of soft X-ray light curves of associated flares. We find that the inferred onset of rapid CME acceleration in each of the six cases occurred 1–3 min before the onset of metric type II emission, in contrast to the results of previous studies for certain of these events that obtained CME launch times ∼25–45 min earlier than type II onset. The removal of the CME-metric type II timing discrepancy in these events and, more generally, the identification of the onset of the rapid acceleration phase of CMEs with the flare impulsive phase undercuts a significant argument against CMEs as metric type II shock drivers. In general, the six events exhibited: (1) ample evidence of dynamic behavior [soft X-ray ejecta, extreme ultra-violet imaging telescope (EIT) dimming onsets, and wave initiation (observed variously in Hα, EUV, and soft X-rays)] during the inferred fast acceleration phases of the CMEs, consistent with the cataclysmic disruption of the low solar atmosphere one would expect to be associated with a CME; and (2) an organic relationship between EIT dimmings (generally taken to be source regions of CMEs) and EIT waves (which are highly associated with metric type II bursts) indicative of a CME-driver scenario. Our analysis indicates that the broad (∼90○ to halo) CMEs observed in the outer LASCO coronagraphs for these impulsive events began life as relatively small-scale structures, with angular spans of ∼15○ in the low corona. A review of on-going work bearing on other aspects (than timing) of the question of the origin of metric type II bursts (CME association; connectivity of metric and decametric-hectometric type II shocks; spatial relationship between CMEs and metric shocks) leads to the conclusion that CMEs remain a strong candidate to be the principal/sole driver of metric type II shocks vis-a-vis flare blast waves/ejecta.

Re-Evaluation of the Flare?Type II?CME Association

We have re-evaluated the association of type II solar radio bursts with flares and/or coronal mass ejections (CMEs) using the year 2000 solar maximum data. For this, we consider 52 type II events whose associations with flares or CMEs were absent or not clearly identified and reported. These events are classified as follows; group I: 11 type IIs for which there are no reports of GOES X-ray flares and CMEs; group II: 12 type IIs for which there are no reports of GOES X-ray flares; and group III: 29 type IIs for which the flare locations are not reported. By carefully re-examining their association from GOES X-ray and Hα, Yohkoh SXT and EIT-EUV data, we attempt to answer the following questions: (i) if there really were no X-ray flares associated with the above 23 type IIs of groups I and II; (ii) whether they can be regarded as backside events whose X-ray emission might have been occulted. From this analysis, we have found that two factors, flare background intensity and flare location, play important roles in the complete reports about flare–type II–CME associations. In the above 23 cases, for more than 50% of the cases in total, the X-ray flares were not noticed and reported, because the background intensity of X-ray flux was high. In the remaining cases, the X-ray intensity might be greatly reduced due to occultation. From the Hα flare data, Yohkoh SXT data and EIT-EUV data, we found that ten cases out of 23 might be frontside events, and the remaining are backside events. While the flare–type II association is found to be nearly 90%, the type II–CME association is roughly around 75%. This analysis might be useful to reduce some ambiguities regarding the association among type IIs, flares and CMEs.

On the Relation between Filament Eruptions, Flares, and Coronal Mass Ejections

We present a statistical study of 106 filament eruptions, which were automatically detected by a pattern recognition program implemented at Big Bear Solar Observatory using Hα full-disk data from 1999 to 2003. We compare these events with Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite soft X-ray time profiles, solar-geophysical data (SGD) solar event reports, Michelson Doppler Imager magnetograms, and Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) data to determine the relationship between filament eruptions and other phenomena of solar activity. (1) Excluding eight events with no corresponding LASCO data, 55% or 56% of 98 events were associated with coronal mass ejections (CMEs). (2) Active region filament eruptions have a considerably higher flare association rate of 95% compared to quiescent filament eruptions with 27%, but a comparable CME association rate, namely, 43% for active region filament eruptions and 54% for quiescent filament eruptions. (3) 54% or 68% of 80 disk events were associated with new flux emergence. In addition, we derived the sign of magnetic helicity and the orientation of the magnetic field associated with seven halo CMEs and demonstrated that the geoeffectiveness of a halo CME can be predicted by these two parameters.

Helicity of Magnetic Clouds and Solar Cycle Variations of their Geoeffectiveness

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are sources of the strongest geomagnetic disturbances. From sunspot minimum to sunspot maximum, the intensity of storms associated with CMEs increases but the degree of association decreases. We divide the CMEs in the last solar cycle (1996–2002) into magnetic clouds (MCs)and CMEs which are not magnetic clouds. MCs are much more geoeffective than non-MC CMEs, and the portion of CMEs which are MCs is maximum in sunspot minimum and minimum at sunspot maximum, corresponding to the net helicity transferred from the solar interior into the corona. The smaller portion of the more geoeffective MCs is the explanation of the smaller degree of association of CMEs with geomagnetic disturbances in sunspot maximum. To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html

Relationship between solar wind low‐energy energetic ion enhancements and large geomagnetic storms

It is well established that energetic ion enhancements (an energetic ion enhancement will hereafter be referred to as an EIE) are partly due to acceleration by interplanetary shocks as the shocks propagate towards Earth and that arrivals of these shocks at Earth are well associated with geomagnetic storms. The observation of EIEs at satellites located at L1 is a potential tool for predicting the arrival of interplanetary shocks hours before they arrive at L1. Following an earlier study using WIND satellite data [Smith and Zwickl, 1999], we evaluate the potential of EIEs for forecasting geomagnetic storms during the period of February 1998 through December 2000. Since there are many more EIEs than large geomagnetic storms, additional associations that might improve the identification of precursors of large storms were investigated. These included probable solar sources, accompanying interplanetary shocks, and the shocks' interplanetary drivers. Solar images and data from the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) and WIND satellites were used. The Potsdam Kp was used to specify geomagnetic storm severity. Almost all large geomagnetic storms (Kp ≥ 7) in this time period were preceded by EIEs that were associated with shocks driven by transient interplanetary disturbances. The converse is not true. Although most transient‐associated EIEs were followed by some geomagnetic activity, there is a large span in the response. Most (95%) of EIEs with maximum flux ≥1.105 pfu were followed by activity with Kp &gt; 4 and 80% by storms with Kp ≥ 5. For a threshold of 3.105 pfu, 67% of the large storms would be identified, 89% of the EIEs were followed by storms with Kp ≥ 5, and 53% by large storms (Kp ≥ 7). Using the additional information on the interplanetary drivers results in an increase in the correctly predicted events from 53% to 61%. For a threshold of 1.106 pfu, all (100%) EIEs were followed by storms with Kp ≥ 5, 76% of the events were correctly predicted but 16 of the 30 large storms were missed. Most of the EIEs were followed by significant periods of southward Bz and in close to 70% of the EIEs, the Bz following the EIE was first northward before turning southward. We also investigated the relationship of the EIEs to halo or partial‐halo coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and found that EIE events associated with halo CMEs are more likely to be followed by a large geomagnetic storm, but a lack of halo or partial‐halo CME association does not preclude the occurrence of a large geomagnetic storm.

A Search for CMEs Associated with Big Flares

The relationship between flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) remains a topic of active research. This paper considers a complete set of 311 M- and X-class GOES soft X-ray flares observed during the years 1996–1999. The durations of these flares have been determined as part of this study. Possible CME candidates for the 229 flares with good LASCO data coverage were identified using existing on-line catalogs. Approximately 40% of the M-class flares do not have CMEs. The probability of finding a CME candidate does not depend on the solar location of the flare, which supports the conclusion that the lack of observed CMEs is not an observational selection effect. Thresholds of 6.0×10−5 Wm −2 in peak flux, 0.07 Jm −2 in total flux, and 4 hours in duration independently allow a 95% confidence in predicting that a CME will be observed. For flares with peak flux and duration below these thresholds, the fraction of flares with CME candidates is independent of the observed value of peak flux or duration. The close association between long-duration flares and CMEs reported in previous studies is not confirmed. There is the suggestion of a trend between total flux and the fraction of flares that have CME associations. The variation of the X-ray flux and flare activity over the rising phase of solar cycle 23 is considered in an appendix.

Active and Eruptive Prominences and Their Relationship to Coronal Mass Ejections

In order to understand better the dynamical processes in the solar atmosphere that are associated with coronal mass ejections (CMEs), we have carried out a study of prominence activity using Hα observations obtained at the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory (MLSO). After developing clear definitions of active prominences (APs) and eruptive prominences (EPs), we examined 54 Hα events to identify distinguishing characteristics of APs and EPs and to study the relationship between prominence activity and CMEs. The principal characteristics we found to distinguish clearly between APs and EPs are maximum projected radial height, projected radial velocity, and projected radial acceleration. We determined CME associations with Hα events by using white-light data from the Mk III K-Coronameter at MLSO and the LASCO C2 Coronagraph on SOHO. We found that EPs are more strongly associated with CMEs than are APs and that the CMEs associated with EPs generally have cores, while those associated with APs do not. A majority of the EPs in the study exhibit separation of escaping material from the bulk of the prominence—the latter initially lifting away from and then returning toward the solar surface. This separation tends to occur in the height range from 1.20 to 1.35 R0, and we infer that it involves the formation of an X-type neutral line in this region, which allows disconnection of part of the prominence material. This disconnection view of prominence eruption seems most consistent with flux rope models of prominence support.

On the origin of solar metric type II bursts

The vast majority of solar flares are not associated with metric Type II radio bursts. For example, for the period February 1980–July 1982, corresponding to the first two and one-half years of the Solar Maximum Mission, 95% of the ∼2500 flares with peak >25 keV count rates >100 c s−1lacked associated Type II emission. Even the ∼360 largest flares, i.e., those having >25 keV peak count rates >1000 c s−1, had a Type II association rate of only 24%. The lack of a close correlation between flare size and Type II occurrence implies the need for a 'special condition' that distinguishes flares that are accompanied by metric Type II radio bursts from those of comparable size that are not. The leading candidates for this special condition are: (1) an unusually low Alfven speed in the flaring region; and (2) fast material motion. We present evidence based on SMM and GOES X-ray data and Solwind coronagraph data that argues against the first of these hypotheses and supports the second. Type II bursts linked to flares within 30° of the solar limb are well associated (64%; 49/76) with fast (>400 km s−1) coronal mass ejections (CMEs); for Type II flares within 15° of the limb, the association rate is 79% (30/38). An examination of the characteristics of 'non-CME' flares associated with Type IIs does not support the flare-initiated blast wave picture that has been proposed for these events and suggests instead that CMEs may have escaped detection. While the degree of Type II–CME association increases with flare size, there are notable cases of small Type II flares whose outstanding attribute is a fast CME. Thus we argue that metric Type II bursts (as well as the Moreton waves and kilometric Type II bursts that may accompany them) have their root cause in fast coronal mass ejections.