| Vol. 27, Issue 8 |
The physics of the origin of coronal mass ejections and their association with other phenomenon on the Sun is one of the outstanding problems in solar-terrestrial physics. Khan and Hudson [1083] report that the disappearances of huge (about one solar radius in length) soft X-ray loops connecting active regions across the solar equator occurs in close association with a major flare. Based on similarities between the soft X-ray loop masses and coronal mass ejection masses inferred from coronagraph observations, as well as the timing of the disappearances, their morphology, and the fact that three similar events occurred in sequence, the authors propose that the disappearing large-scale soft X-ray loops represent a new class for the origins of some coronal mass ejections in the low corona. From soft X-ray images of the corona, type II metric radio bursts and timing inter-comparisons, the authors infer that shock waves generated at the flare region propagate towards the interconnecting loops, destabilizing them, and causing them to erupt. |
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