The speeds of coronal mass ejection events

The outward speeds of mass ejection events observed with the white light coronagraph experiment on Skylab varied over a range extending from less than 100 km sec super(-) super(1) to greater than 1200 km sec super(-) super(1) . For all events, the average speed within the field of view of the experiment (1.75 to 6 solar radii) was 470 km sec super(-) super(1) . Typically, flare-associated events (importance 1 or greater) travelled faster (775 km sec super(-) super(1) ) than events associated with eruptive prominences (330 km sec super(-) super(1) ); no flare-associated event had a speed less than 360 km sec super(-) super(1) , and only one eruptive prominence associated event had a speed greater than 360 km sec super(-) super(1) . Speeds vs. height profiles for a limited number of events indicate that the leading edges of the ejecta move outward with constant or increasing speeds. Metric wavelength type II and IV radio bursts are associated only with events moving faster than about 400 km sec super(-) super(1) ; all but two events moving faster than 500 km sec super(-) super(1) produced either a type II or IV radio burst or both. This suggests that the characteristic speed with which MHD signals propagate in the lower (1.1 to 3 solar radii) corona, where metric wavelength bursts are generated, is about 400 to 500 km sec super(-) super(1) . The fact that the fastest mass ejection events are almost always associated with flares and with metric wavelength type II and IV radio bursts explains why major shock wave disturbances in the solar wind at 1 AU are most often associated with these forms of solar activity rather than with eruptive prominences.