Statistical Study of Energy Partition between Solar Flares and CMEs

Advisor: Chunming Zhu

Solar flares and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are frequently observed to occur together and it is generally thought that both involve the disruption and restructuring of the coronal magnetic field, i.e., magnetic reconnection. During this process, the free magnetic energy is converted into thermal and kinetic energies released in flares and CMEs.

In this project, we will evaluate the energy partition between flares and CMEs, by analyzing about 100 events observed by a few spacecraft, SDO, SOHO, and STEREO. Those events will be classified into different categories, with the possible mechanisms discussed. Students will make programs to analyze a large number of images, and learn about the Sun's atmosphere and magnetic fields. Experience with IDL or similar programming languages is desired though not required.