Twisting/Swirling Motions during a Prominence Eruption as Seen from SDO/AIA

Abstract

A quiescent prominence was observed at the northwest limb of the Sun using different channels of the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory. We report and analyze twisting/swirling motions during and after the prominence eruption. We segregate the observed rotational motions into small and large scales. Small-scale rotational motions manifest in the barbs of the prominence, while the large-scale rotation manifests as the roll motion during the prominence eruption. We noticed that both footpoints of the prominence rotate in the counterclockwise direction. We propose that a similar sense of rotation in both footpoints leads to a prominence eruption. The prominence erupted asymmetrically near the southern footpoint, which may be due to an uneven mass distribution and location of the cavity near the southern footpoint. Furthermore, we study the swirling motion of the plasma along different circular paths in the cavity of the prominence after the prominence eruption. The rotational velocities of the plasma moving along different circular paths are estimated to be ~9–40 km s−1. These swirling motions can be explained in terms of twisted magnetic field lines in the prominence cavity. Finally we observe the twist built up in the prominence, being carried away by the coronal mass ejection, as seen in the Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory.