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Coronal Magnetometry pp 349–369Cite as

On the Structure and Evolution of a Polar Crown Prominence/Filament System

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Abstract

Polar crown prominences, that partially circle the Sun’s poles between 60° and 70° latitude, are made of chromospheric plasma. We aim to diagnose the 3D dynamics of a polar crown prominence using high-cadence EUV images from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)/AIA at 304, 171, and 193 Å and the Ahead spacecraft of the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO-A)/EUVI at 195 Å. Using time series across specific structures, we compare flows across the disk in 195 Å with the prominence dynamics seen on the limb. The densest prominence material forms vertical columns that are separated by many tens of Mm and connected by dynamic bridges of plasma that are clearly visible in 304/171 Å two-colour images. We also observe intermittent but repetitious flows with velocity 15 km s−1 in the prominence that appear to be associated with EUV bright points on the solar disk. The boundary between the prominence and the overlying cavity appears as a sharp edge. We discuss the structure of the coronal cavity seen both above and around the prominence. SDO/HMI and GONG magnetograms are used to infer the underlying magnetic topology. The evolution and structure of the prominence with respect to the magnetic field seems to agree with the filament-linkage model.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Max-Planck Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, 37077, Göttingen, Germany

    N. K. Panesar, D. E. Innes, D. J. Schmit & S. K. Tiwari

  2. Physik Fakultät, Institut für Astrophysik Göttingen, Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37077, Göttingen, Germany

    N. K. Panesar

  3. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, ZP 13, Huntsville, AL, 35812, USA

    S. K. Tiwari

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  1. N. K. Panesar
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  2. D. E. Innes
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  3. D. J. Schmit
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  4. S. K. Tiwari
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Correspondence to N. K. Panesar .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA

    Steven Tomczyk

  2. George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA

    Jie Zhang

  3. National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Charlottesville, VA, USA

    Timothy Bastian

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Panesar, N.K., Innes, D.E., Schmit, D.J., Tiwari, S.K. (2014). On the Structure and Evolution of a Polar Crown Prominence/Filament System. In: Tomczyk, S., Zhang, J., Bastian, T. (eds) Coronal Magnetometry. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2038-9_22

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