Mass constraints of coronal mass ejection plasmas observed in EUV and X-ray passbands

  • Published : 2011.04.05

Abstract

Coronal mass ejection (CME) plasmas have been observed in EUV and X-ray passbands as well as in white light. Mass of CME has been determined using polarized brightness observed by the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph Experiment (LASCO) on board Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). Therefore, this mass obtained from the LASCO observation indicates the total CME mass. However, the mass of CME plasma in different temperatures can be determined in EUV and X-ray passbands using observations by SOHO/EIT, STEREO/EUVI, and Hinode/XRT. Prominence/CME plasmas have been observed as absorption or emission features in EUV and X-ray passbands. The absorption features provide a lower limit to cold mass. In addition, the emission features provide an upper limit to the mass of plasmas in temperature ranges of EUV and X-ray. We determine the mass constraints using the emission measure obtained by assuming the prominence/CME structures. This work will address the mass constraints of hot and cold plasmas in CMEs, comparing to total CME mass.

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