On the propagation of brightening after filament/prominence eruptions, as seen by SoHO-EIT

¹ Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge, CB3 0WA, UK e-mail: [D.Tripathi;H.E.Mason]@damtp.cam.ac.uk
² Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan e-mail: isobe@eps.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Received: 9 February 2006
Accepted: 27 March 2006

Abstract

Aims.To study the relationship between the propagation of brightening and erupting filaments/prominences in order to get some insight into the three-dimensional picture of magnetic reconnection.

Methods.Analysis of the observations taken with the EIT (Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Telescope) aboard SoHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory).

Results.When the prominences/filaments erupted having one point fixed – asymmetric eruption – the brightening propagated along the neutral line together with the expansion/separation from the polarity inversion line (PIL) as expected from the standard models. However in case of symmetric eruptions, the brightening propagated towards both end points starting at the middle. When the prominence/filament erupted faster then the speed of the propagating brightening was faster and vice-versa.

Conclusions.Based on these observations we conclude that the eruption and magnetic reconnection – propagation (along the PIL) and separation (away from PIL) of the brightening – are dynamically coupled phenomena. These observations can be explained by a simple extension of the 2D models illustrating eruption and magnetic reconnection to a 3D model.