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Description and Classification of Prominences

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Solar Prominences

Part of the book series: Astrophysics and Space Science Library ((ASSL,volume 415))

Abstract

Solar prominences are bright cloud-like structures when observed beyond the solar limb and they appear as dark filamentary objects which are termed filaments when seen against the solar disk. The aims of prominence classifications were from the start to establish references and frameworks for understanding the physical conditions for their formation and development through interplay with the solar magnetic environment. The multi-thermal nature of solar prominences became fully apparent once observations from space in UV, VUV, EUV and X-rays could be made. The cool prominence plasma is thermally shielded from the much hotter corona and supported in the field of gravity by small- and large-scale magnetic fields of the filament channels. High cadence, subarcsecond observing facilities on ground and in space have firmly proven the highly dynamic nature of solar prominences down to the smallest observed structural sizes of 100 km. The origin of the ubiquitous oscillations and flowing of the plasma over a variety of spatial and temporal scales, whether the cool dense plasma originates from below via levitation, injections by reconnection or results from condensation processes, are central issues in prominence research today. The unveiling of instabilities leading to prominences eruptions and Coronal Mass Ejections is another important challenge. The objective of this chapter is to review the main characteristics of various types of prominences and their associated magnetic environments, which will all be addressed in details in the following chapters of this book.

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Acknowledgments

The author is grateful for helpful discussions with Jean-Claude Vial and suggestions from Sara F. Martin and Jack B. Zirker in preparation of this chapter.

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  1. Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Oslo, Blindern, Oslo, Norway

    Oddbjørn Engvold

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  1. Oddbjørn Engvold
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Correspondence to Oddbjørn Engvold .

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  1. Université Paris-Sud 11, Institute of Astrophysics Space, Orsay, France

    Jean-Claude Vial

  2. University of Oslo, Blindern, Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, Oslo, Norway

    Oddbjørn Engvold

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Engvold, O. (2015). Description and Classification of Prominences. In: Vial, JC., Engvold, O. (eds) Solar Prominences. Astrophysics and Space Science Library, vol 415. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-10416-4_2

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