Investigating the Dynamics and Density Evolution of Returning Plasma Blobs from the 2011 June 7 Eruption

Abstract

This work examines infalling matter following an enormous Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) on 2011 June 7. The material formed discrete concentrations, or blobs, in the corona and fell back to the surface, appearing as dark clouds against the bright corona. In this work we examined the density and dynamic evolution of these blobs in order to formally assess the intriguing morphology displayed throughout their descent. The blobs were studied in five wavelengths (94, 131, 171, 193 and 211 Å) using the Solar Dynamics Observatory Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (SDO/AIA), comparing background emission to attenuated emission as a function of wavelength to calculate column densities across the descent of four separate blobs. We found the material to have a column density of hydrogen of approximately 2 $\times$ 10${}^{19}$ cm${}^{-2}$, which is comparable with typical pre-eruption filament column densities. Repeated splitting of the returning material is seen in a manner consistent with the Rayleigh-Taylor instability. Furthermore, the observed distribution of density and its evolution are also a signature of this instability. By approximating the three-dimensional geometry (with data from STEREO-A), volumetric densities were found to be approximately 2 $\times$ 10${}^{-14}$ g cm${}^{-3}$, and this, along with observed dominant length-scales of the instability, was used to infer a magnetic field of the order 1 G associated with the descending blobs.

9 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ

References in corpus (3)

• Athena: A New Code for Astrophysical MHD
• The Magnetic Rayleigh-Taylor Instability in Three Dimensions
• Mass estimates of rapidly-moving prominence material from high-cadence EUV images

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• On the nature of the magnetic Rayleigh-Taylor instability in Astrophysical Plasma: The case of uniform magnetic field strength
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• Evolution of Magnetic Rayleigh-Taylor Instability into the Outer Solar Corona and Low Inter Planetary Space
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• The Evolution of Magnetic Rayleigh-Taylor Unstable Plumes and Hybrid KH-RT Instability into A Loop-like Eruptive Prominence
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