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Simultaneous observations of a large-scale wave event in the solar atmosphere: From photosphere to corona

  • CAS - National Astronomical Observatories
  • University of Chinese Academy of Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

For the first time, we report a large-scale wave that was observed simultaneously in the photosphere, chromosphere, transition region, and low corona layers of the solar atmosphere. Using the high temporal and high spatial resolution observations taken by the Solar Magnetic Activity Research Telescope at Hida Observatory and the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board Solar Dynamic Observatory, we find that the wave evolved synchronously at different heights of the solar atmosphere, and it propagated at a speed of 605km s -1 and showed a significant deceleration (-424m s-2) in the extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) observations. During the initial stage, the wave speed in the EUV observations was 1000km s-1, similar to those measured from the AIA 1700 Å (967km s-1) and 1600 Å (893km s-1) observations. The wave was reflected by a remote region with open fields, and a slower wave-like feature at a speed of 220km s -1 was also identified following the primary fast wave. In addition, a type-II radio burst was observed to be associated with the wave. We conclude that this wave should be a fast magnetosonic shock wave, which was first driven by the associated coronal mass ejection and then propagated freely in the corona. As the shock wave propagated, its legs swept the solar surface and thereby resulted in the wave signatures observed in the lower layers of the solar atmosphere. The slower wave-like structure following the primary wave was probably caused by the reconfiguration of the low coronal magnetic fields, as predicted in the field-line stretching model.

Original languageEnglish
Article numberL23
JournalAstrophysical Journal Letters
Volume752
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 20 Jun 2012
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Sun: activity
  • Sun: chromosphere
  • Sun: corona
  • Sun: flares
  • Sun: transition region

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