Two types of dynamic cool coronal structures observed with STEREO and Hinode

Abstract

Solar coronal loops show significant plasma motions during their formation and eruption stages. Dynamic cool coronal structures, on the other hand, are often observed to propagate along coronal loops. We report on the discovery of two types of dynamic cool coronal structures, and characterize their fundamental properties. Using the EUV 304 Å images from the Extreme Ultra Violet Imager (EUVI) telescope on the Solar TErrestrial RElation Observatory (STEREO) and the Ca II filtergrams from the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) instrument on Hinode, we study the evolution of an EUV arch and the kinematics of cool coronal structures. The EUV 304 A observations show that a missile-like plasmoid moves along an arch-shaped trajectory, with an average velocity of 31 km s^-1. About three hours later, a plasma arch forms along the trajectory, subsequently the top part of the arch fades away and disappears; meanwhile the plasma belonging to the two legs of the arch flows downward to the arch's feet. During the arch formation and disappearance, SOT Ca II images explore dynamic cool coronal structures beneath the arch. By tracking these structures, we classify them into two types. Type I is threadlike in shape and flows downward with a greater average velocity of 72 km s ^-1 finally it combines with a loop fibril at a chromospheric altitude. Type II is shape-transformable and sometimes rolling as it flows downward with a smaller velocity of 37 km s ^-1, then disappears insularly in the chromosphere. It is suggested that the two types of structures are possibly controlled by different magnetic configurations.