Coronal Mass Ejections and Solar Polarity Reversal

Abstract

We report on a close relationship between the solar polarity reversal and the cessation of high-latitude coronal mass ejections (CMEs). This result holds good for individual poles of the Sun for cycles 21 and 23, for which CME data are available. The high-latitude CMEs provide a natural explanation for the disappearance of the polar crown filaments (PCFs) that rush the poles. The PCFs, which are closed field structures, need to be removed before the poles could acquire open field structure of the opposite polarity. Inclusion of CMEs along with the photospheric and subphotospheric processes completes the full set of phenomena to be explained by any solar dynamo theory.