Halo Coronal Mass Ejections and Their Relation to DH Type-II Radio Bursts

Abstract

A set of 88 halo CMEs observed by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory/Large Angle Solar Coronagraph (SOHO/LASCO) during the period 2005 to 2010 is considered to study the relationship of these halo CMEs with Type-II radio bursts in the deca-hectametric (DH) wavelength range observed by Wind/(Plasma and Radio Waves: WAVES). Among the 88 events, 39 halo CMEs are found to be associated with DH Type-II radio bursts and their characteristics are analyzed with the following results: i) The heights of the CME leading edge at the time of the starting frequencies of many of the selected DH Type-II events (74 %) are in the range (2 -10 R_⊙) where the shocks are formed. ii) The mean speed of DH-associated halo CMEs (1610 km s⁻¹) is nearly twice the mean speed (853 km s⁻¹) of halo CMEs without DH Type-II radio bursts, implying that the peak of the Alfvén speed profile in the outer corona where DH Type-II radio bursts start might be around 800 km s⁻¹. iii) The shock speed of DH Type-II radio bursts calculated using the heights of shock signatures of the corresponding CME events is found to be slightly higher than the CME speed. iv) The CME speed plays a major role in the determination of the ending frequency of DH Type-II radio bursts but not the starting frequency. v) The relationship between the characteristics of DH Type-II radio bursts and CMEs is explained in the context of the universal drift-rate spectrum.