"extreme ultraviolet waves" are waves: First quadrature observations of an extreme ultraviolet wave from stereo

Abstract

The nature of coronal mass ejection (CME)-associated low corona propagating disturbances, "extreme ultraviolet (EUV) waves," has been controversial since their discovery by EIT on SOHO. The low-cadence, single-viewpoint EUV images and the lack of simultaneous inner corona white-light observations have hindered the resolution of the debate on whether they are true waves or just projections of the expanding CME. The operation of the twin EUV imagers and inner corona coronagraphs aboard STEREO has improved the situation dramatically. During early 2009, the STEREO Ahead (STA) and Behind (STB) spacecrafts observed the Sun in quadrature having a 90° angular separation. An EUV wave and CME erupted from active region 11012, on February 13, when the region was exactly at the limb for STA and hence at disk center for STB. The STEREO observations capture the development of a CME and its accompanying EUV wave not only with high cadence but also in quadrature. The resulting unprecedented data set allowed us to separate the CME structures from the EUV wave signatures and to determine without doubt the true nature of the wave. It is a fast-mode MHD wave after all. © 2009. The American Astronomical Society.