DIRECT EVIDENCE FOR A FAST CORONAL MASS EJECTION DRIVEN BY THE PRIOR FORMATION AND SUBSEQUENT DESTABILIZATION OF A MAGNETIC FLUX ROPE

Magnetic flux ropes play a central role in the physics of coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Although a flux-rope topology is inferred for the majority of coronagraphic observations of CMEs, a heated debate rages on whether the flux ropes pre-exist or whether they are formed on-the-fly during the erupti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Astrophysical journal 2013-02, Vol.764 (2), p.1-13
Main Authors: PATSOURAKOS, S, VOURLIDAS, A, Stenborg, G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ASTRONOMY
ASTROPHYSICS
ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
Coronal mass ejection
Destabilization
EXTREME ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
Flares
Flux
Formations
MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS
MAGNETIC FLUX
MASS
Rope
SOLAR CORONA
SOLAR FLARES
SUN
TOPOLOGY
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Summary:Magnetic flux ropes play a central role in the physics of coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Although a flux-rope topology is inferred for the majority of coronagraphic observations of CMEs, a heated debate rages on whether the flux ropes pre-exist or whether they are formed on-the-fly during the eruption. Here, we present a detailed analysis of extreme-ultraviolet observations of the formation of a flux rope during a confined flare followed about 7 hr later by the ejection of the flux rope and an eruptive flare. The two flares occurred during 2012 July 18 and 19. The second event unleashed a fast (>1000 km s super(-1) ) CME. We present the first direct evidence of a fast CME driven by the prior formation and destabilization of a coronal magnetic flux rope formed during the confined flare on July 18.
ISSN:0004-637X
1538-4357
DOI:10.1088/0004-637X/764/2/125