The Geometrical Structure and Physics of Coronal Mass Ejections

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Solar disturbances produce major effects on the corona, the solar wind, the interplanetary medium, and the Earth along with its magnetosphere. New techniques have been developed for studying plasma disturbances in the inner heliosphere. This grant will continue an investigation of the physics of these disturbances, using data from the HELIOS zodiacal-light photometers and a variety of other coronal instruments. These zodiacal-light photometers (data coverage from 1974 to 1986) provide the first stereoscopic information about the heliospheric shapes of these disturbances. The basic research effort includes modeling techniques to interpret and match the observational data. The HELIOS imaging combined with other observations provides a unique opportunity to determine coronal mass-ejection velocities, streamer material velocities, 3-dimensional structures, and total masses in the interplanetary medium. This can be done with fewer assumptions and to greater accuracies than heretofore possible. Beside mass ejections, solar disturbances which reach the interplanetary medium also include coronal streamers, shocks measured in situ and co-rotating interface regions. It has been possible to view these features with the zodiacal-light photometers on board the HELIOS spacecraft and this study will relate near-surface solar structures and the heliospheric current sheet.