surges


surges

Impulsive events on the Sun that are characterized by the ejection of chromospheric material into the inner corona with velocities of 100–200 km s–1. They occur in active regions, where they often accompany flares but more generally stem from small flarelike brightenings (termed moustaches or Ellerman bombs) at the outer edge of the penumbra of sunspots. The surge material, which is usually directed radially away from the spot, may reach a height of a couple of hundred thousand kilometers before fading or returning to the chromosphere along either a curved trajectory or, more frequently, the trajectory of its ascent. Surges typically have a lifetime of 10–20 minutes and show a strong tendency to recur. See also prominences.