Homologous large-scale activity in solar eruptive events of 24-26 November 2000

Abstract

We study large-scale activity on the solar disk associated with a 24-26 November 2000 series of six recurrent major flares and "halo" coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The analysis is based mainly on the SOHO/EIT data, particularly by using properly rotated difference full-disk images with 12-min intervals at 195 A as well as with 6-hour intervals at 171, 195, 284, and 304 A. We demonstrate that these eruptive events were homologous not only by their flare and CME characteristics, as Nitta and Hudson [2001] showed, but also in terms of their large-scale CME-associated manifestations in the EUV corona. These include long and narrow channeled dimmings, some transequatorial; anisotropic coronal waves, propagating in a restricted angular sector; and additional quasi-stationary emitting fronts. As a whole, in all of these six events, the homologous CME-associated disturbances covered a considerable portion of the solar disk. The homology tendency appears to be due to significant disturbance, partial eruption, and relatively fast restoration of the same large-scale structures involved in the repeating CME events. We briefly discuss the implications of the analysis in connection with the nature of coronal equilibrium. Copyright 2004 by the American Geophysical Union.