Comprehensive study of solar type II radio bursts and the properties of the associated shock waves

TL;DR

This study combines radio imaging and MHD simulations to analyze ten solar type II radio bursts, revealing their association with super-critical, oblique shocks near coronal streamers and emphasizing CME-streamer interactions in electron acceleration.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive method using radio imaging and simulations to determine shock properties at electron acceleration sites for type II bursts, highlighting the role of streamer interactions.

Findings

Type II bursts are located near or inside coronal streamers.

Shock speeds are high, forming super-critical shocks with Mach numbers 3.8 to 7.7.

Most bursts occur at oblique shocks, indicating complex shock geometries.

Abstract

Type II radio bursts are solar radio emissions generated by electrons accelerated by coronal shocks. These bursts are typically found close to expanding coronal mass ejections (CMEs), making them valuable for studying the properties and dynamics of CME-driven shocks in the solar corona. Here, we aim to determine the regions in the solar corona where shock waves accelerate electrons and determine their characteristic properties. To do this, we combine radio observations of type II solar radio bursts with magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of the solar corona. We analyse ten type II radio bursts from Solar Cycle 25 exhibiting emissions. The novelty of this study lies in using radio imaging data for all type II bursts to examine the positions of the radio sources. The radio source positions, combined with a geometrical fitting of the CME shock and the MHD simulations, are used to determine essential shock parameters at the acceleration region, such as the Alfv\'en Mach number $(M_{\rm A}$ and $\theta_{\rm BN}$. The shock parameters are then combined with the properties of the radio emission and the associated eruption in a comprehensive study. We found that for all events, the type II bursts are located near or inside coronal streamers. The estimated shock speeds are high, resulting in the formation of super-critical shocks ($3.8~\leq~M_{\rm A}~\leq~7.7$) at the type II locations. In most events, type II bursts are located at oblique shocks rather than near-perpendicular geometries, suggesting that the shock structure is more complex at local scales than the simple spherical shock models usually applied to CME shocks. Our results suggest that CME-streamer interaction regions are necessary for the generation of type II bursts, as they provide ideal plasma conditions for the formation of super-critical shocks and the subsequent acceleration of electrons.