The strength and radial profile of the coronal magnetic field from the standoff distance of a coronal mass ejection-driven shock

Abstract

We determine the coronal magnetic field strength in the heliocentric distance range 6-23 solar radii (Rs) by measuring the shock standoff distance and the radius of curvature of the flux rope during the 2008 March 25 coronal mass ejection imaged by white-light coronagraphs. Assuming the adiabatic index, we determine the Alfvén Mach number, and hence the Alfvén speed in the ambient medium using the measured shock speed. By measuring the upstream plasma density using polarization brightness images, we finally get the magnetic field strength upstream of the shock. The estimated magnetic field decreases from ∼48 mG around 6 Rs to 8 mG at 23 Rs. The radial profile of the magnetic field can be described by a power law in agreement with other estimates at similar heliocentric distances. © 2011. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.