Cospatial Multiwavelength Observations of an Eruptive Prominence as the Bright Core of a Coronal Mass Ejection

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Abstract
Coronal mass ejections (CMEs), as seen in white-light (WL) coronagraphs, often exhibit a classic three-part structure consisting of a bright front, a dark cavity, and a bright core. With the launch of Solar Orbiter, cospatial imaging of solar eruptions in multiwavelengths of extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) and WL has become available. We present a CME that erupted on 2022 September 23, observed under a uniquely favorable viewing geometry. The CME bright core and its eruptive prominence can be cospatially observed up to a coronal height of 3.5 R ⊙ in the middle corona, in WL using COR1 on board STEREO-A and in EUV using the Full Sun Imager on board Solar Orbiter. Cospatial, multiwavelength observations indicate that the CME bright core observed in WL was almost entirely composed of the prominence material, which was heated during the CME eruption. EUV emissions in 174 and 304 Å of the prominence were largely cospatial when the CME propagated to the middle corona, though subtle differences remained. We further discuss the potential temperature in the bright core region and find that the core was heated as it rose, likely reaching temperatures of about 0.1–0.8 MK.
Funding Information
  • NASA (80NSSC23K1057)
  • NSF (AGS-2301382)
  • NASA (80NSSC24K1245)
  • NASA (80NSSC20K0431)
  • NASA (80NSSC22K1028)
  • NASA (80NSSC23K0412)
  • NASA (80NSSC24K1252)
  • George Mason University via the NRL contract (N00173-23-2-C603)

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