"EIT Waves" and Coronal Mass Ejections

TL;DR

This paper reviews the observational features and theoretical models of EIT waves, discusses their relationship with CMEs, and highlights the need to revisit the understanding of CME frontal loops.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive summary of EIT wave observations, reviews existing models, and discusses their implications for understanding coronal mass ejections.

Findings

EIT waves are EUV bright fronts propagating across the solar disk.

Theoretical models over the past decade have attempted to explain EIT waves.

The research suggests revisiting the nature of CME frontal loops.

Abstract

Coronal "EIT waves" appear as EUV bright fronts propagating across a significant part of the solar disk. The intriguing phenomenon provoked continuing debates on their nature and their relation with coronal mass ejections (CMEs). In this paper, we first summarize all the observational features of "EIT waves", which should be accounted for by any successful model. The theoretical models constructed during the past 10 years are then reviewed. Finally, the implication of the "EIT wave" research to the understanding of CMEs is discussed. The necessity is pointed out to revisit the nature of CME frontal loop.