The association of transequatorial loops in the solar corona with coronal mass ejection onset

Mullard Space Science Laboratory, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking, Surrey, RH5 6NT, UK

Corresponding author: A. Glover, Alexi.Glover@esa.int

Received: 9 July 2002
Accepted: 17 December 2002

Abstract

It has been shown that transequatorial loops can disappear in association with the onset of a coronal mass ejection (CME) (Khan & Hudson [CITE]). We extend this result by considering a larger sample of transequatorial loop systems (TLS) to investigate their associated flaring and CME activity. We find 10 of a total 18 TLS considered here to be associated with flaring and CME onset originating from a connected active region. A total 33 cases of flaring and associated CME onset are observed from these 10 systems during their lifetime. We observe the influence of this activity on the TLS in each case. In contrast to the Khan & Hudson result, we find evidence that transequatorial loop eruption leading to soft X-ray brightening equivalent in temperature to a B-class flare is equally as common as dimming in the corona. Consequently we conclude that the scenario observed by Khan & Hudson is not universal and that other types of CME-TLS association occur. It was found that for transequatorial loops that were associated with CMEs the asymmetry in longitude was larger than for those that were not associated to a CME by 10°. In addition, the extent in latitude (as a measure of the loop length) was nearly twice as large for those TLS associated with CMEs than those that were not. The asymmetry in latitude was actually on average larger for those TLS not associated with CMEs, than for those that were. This suggests that differential rotation is not a major contributor to the production of CMEs from transequatorial loops. Instead it is more likely for a CME to be produced if the loop is long, and if there is a large asymmetry in longitude. The implications of these results for CME onset prediction are discussed.