Magnetic field strength in the upper solar corona using white-light shock structures surrounding coronal mass ejections

Abstract

To measure the magnetic field strength in the solar corona, we examined 10 fast (≥1000kms-1) limb coronal mass ejections(CMEs) that show clear shock structures in Solar and Heliospheric Observatory/Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph images. By applying the piston-shock relationship to the observed CME's standoff distance and electron density compression ratio, we estimated the Mach number, Alfvén speed, and magnetic field strength in the height range 3-15 solar radii (Rs ). The main results from this study are as follows: (1) the standoff distance observed in the solar corona is consistent with those from a magnetohydrodynamic model and near-Earth observations; (2) the Mach number as a shock strength is in the range 1.49-3.43 from the standoff distance ratio, but when we use the density compression ratio, the Mach number is in the range 1.47-1.90, implying that the measured density compression ratio is likely to be underestimated owing to observational limits; (3) the Alfvén speed ranges from 259 to 982kms-1 and the magnetic field strength is in the range 6-105 mG when the standoff distance is used; (4) if we multiply the density compression ratio by a factor of two, the Alfvén speeds and the magnetic field strengths are consistent in both methods; and (5) the magnetic field strengths derived from the shock parameters are similar to those of empirical models and previous estimates. © 2012. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved..