Geomagnetic disturbances associated with disappearing solar filaments

Abstract

To gain insight into the origin of enhanced geomagnetic activity that is recently reported to follow the 'disparition brusque' (DB) of quiescent solar filaments, a study is made of the interplanetary plasma and magnetic field data at 1 AU, in relation to DBs over the period of January 1967 through March 1978. The investigation revealed that the 'minor' and 'major' geomagnetic disturbances that manifested within 8 days of DBs almost invariably occurred (in 28 out of the 30 events studied) in association with the passage at earth of high-speed streams in the solar wind. A majority of the streams (19 out of the 28 streams) exhibited a 27-day recurrence pattern, and, thus, the associated enhancement in geomagnetic activity (and apparently followed DBs). The date of transit of the high-speed stream at earth seems to control the delay time of the geomagnetic disturbance, rather than the size of the filament. A systematic spatial relationship between DBs and the potential solar sources of the high-speed streams (coronal holes and flares) does not appear to be present. The results point out the relevance, and prominent role of, recurrent and transient high-speed structures in the solar wind in the enhancement of geomagnetic activity that accompanies DBs.