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We present data obtained from the Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) aboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory spacecraft (SOHO). We compare the rotation of the white-light corona as seen during a period approaching the maximum of the solar 11-year activity cycle with that observed in a previous study made at solar minimum (Lewis et al., 1999). We find no fundamental difference in the rotation characteristics and again find the white-light corona to be radially rigid. The rotation has been observed at altitudes from 2.5 R⊙to beyond 15 R⊙and as predicted in the previous study, the greater level of complexity in the coronal structures and their relatively rapid evolution has not allowed periods to be determined as accurately as at solar minimum. Our best estimate of the mean synodic rotation period during the period of study (7 March 1999 to 6 March 2000) is 27.5±0.3 days. This is consistent with the relatively small scale structures associated with the surface activity imposing their rotation signature on an otherwise axisymmetric background corona. The short-lived nature of the small scale coronal morphologies at this epoch has made a thorough analysis of the latitudinal variation difficult, although we again find some evidence for the white light corona's increased latitudinal rigidity when compared to the underlying photosphere. However, we again note how projection effects create difficulties in confirming the exact degree of rigidity in the corona at these altitudes and a very simple coronal model is used to highlight how the appearance of lower latitude features in projection can contaminate the coronal signal observed at other latitudes. We also note evidence for a sudden and apparently fundamental change to the global coronal morphology on the approach to solar maximum and suggest this may represent the time beyond which the classical solar dipole ceases to dominate the coronal field.

We report observations, from March 1999 to December 1999, of slow-moving, low-mass (≲1014g) erupting structures. The 20 events seen in this period appear with a double or multiple loop structure. Their speeds range from approximately 10 to 60 km s−1. There are no significant associated flares or radio signatures. Although the speed distribution of these events overlaps that of coronal mass ejections (CMEs), we propose that they are morphologically different structures and are not merely a continuation of the lower range of the CME speed distribution. The aim of this paper is to characterize these events and to emphasize the insight into general CME research that such simple phenomena could give.

This review is focused on the energetic particle observations made from the Ulyssesspacecraft during the period it spent at high latitudes above the streamer belt in 1999/2000. The relativistic electron intensity has exhibited a significant number of impulsive increases, which are attributed to solar flares, up to latitudes of S80° degrees. These events were normally accompanied by increases in ions of energies above a few MeV nucleon−1. However, there are significant differences in the ease with which ions and electrons are transported in latitude, which is interpreted as a velocity effect. In general the MeV ion increases persist at the same peak intensity level up to November 2000, the latest data we have analysed. This is in contrast to the relativistic electrons, where the peak intensity of the events increases above ∼S50°, with the largest event occurring above S79°. The discrete events at Ulyssesare compared with those in the ecliptic (from ACE). We note that unlike the first high latitude passage of Ulyssesin 1994, approaching solar minimum, where the solar wind was consistently above 750 km s−1after S40°, in the 2000 passage, significant deviations from the in-ecliptic solar wind pattern have not yet (S80°) been realised. Implications of this on the energetic particle characteristics are discussed.

In a previous paper (Tappin et al., 1999) we used cross-correlation analysis of high-cadence observations with the LASCO coronagraphs to trace the acceleration of the solar wind at low latitudes. In this paper we present a similar analysis carried out over the North pole of the Sun. The observations which were made in March 2000 with the C3 coronagraph show low bulk flow speeds (comparable to or lower than those seen at the equator in early 1998). We observe the acceleration continuing to the edge of the C3 field of view at about 30 R⊙. We also observe, as at low latitude, a high-speed tail but now reaching out well beyond 2000 km s−1. We do not see a clear signature of a fast polar bulk flow. We therefore conclude that at this phase of the solar cycle, any fast bulk flow occupies only a small part of the line of sight and is therefore overwhelmed by the denser slow solar wind in these observations. We also show that the fast component is consistent with observed solar wind speeds at 1 AU.

We have developed a non-subjective technique for recording the occurrences of coronal mass ejection (CME) in data recorded by the Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph experiment (LASCO) aboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory spacecraft (SOHO). We have found evidence for, and quantified, an asymmetry in the apparent longitudes at which mass ejections occurred during the first year of LASCO synoptic observations and coinciding with the 1996–1997 solar minimum. Throughout this period the solar surface could loosely be characterized as having both an active and a quiet hemisphere and the observed mass ejection asymmetry is seen to relate closely with the longitudes of most persistent disc activity. However, our best estimate for the centroid of the CME distribution is 45 deg to the west of the brightest regions visible in Fe 195 Å emission on the disc and in an area of reduced coronal emission. This corresponds to the location of a trans-equatorial extension of the northern coronal hole which persisted to some degree throughout the year and was directly associated with the most active region on the disc. We suggest that this indicates magnetic reconnection, which is necessary at the boundaries of coronal holes to maintain their quasi-rigid rotation above the differentially rotating photosphere, could play an important role in triggering the destabilization of nearby structures and result in the observed prevalence of mass ejections. We estimate that the events included in the study could contribute around 8% to the total solar mass loss through the solar wind (which is around 1014kg day−1) and find a scale of asymmetry indicating that close to 70% of this mass is ejected from within a single hemisphere.

Observations are reported of two multiple CME events which were detected on 2–3 June 1997 and 9–10 June 1998, using the LASCO instrument on board SOHO. Each event consists of a group of four related CMEs which emerge from progressively higher latitudes over a time period of approximately 16 hours. In both cases there is on-disk activity visible in EIT EUV images which involves bright emission along the south polar crown filament and there is also ejection of mass from other regions of the corona during the time period of each event. We present a multi-wavelength view of these events (i.e. white-light, Hα, EUV and, in the case of the 2–3 June 1997 event, soft X-ray), which suggest that ejection of mass from one point in the corona can lead to a destabilization of a previously stable structure and the further ejection of mass from different regions of the corona, in a systematic way. The observations also show that the CME phenomenon is not always a localised event but can occur on a global level; and that complex CME activity can arise at relatively quiet-Sun periods as evidenced by the lack of significant X-ray flares or radio signatures.

The near-rigid rotation of the corona above the differential rotation of the photosphere has important implications for the form of the global coronal magnetic field. The magnetic reconfiguring associated with the shear region where the rigidly-rotating coronal field lines interface with the differentially-rotating photospheric field lines could provide an important energy source for coronal heating. We present data on coronal rotation as a function of altitude provided by the Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) instrument aboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft. LASCO comprises of three coronagraphs (C1, C2, and C3) with nested fields-of-view spanning 1.1 R⊙ to 30 R⊙. An asymmetry in brightness, both of the Fe xiv emission line corona and of the broad-band electron scattered corona, has been observed to be stable over at least a one-year period spanning May 1996 to May 1997. This feature has presented a tracer for the coronal rotation and allowed period estimates to be made to beyond 15 R⊙, up to 5 times further than previously recorded for the white-light corona. The difficulty in determining the extent of differential motion in the outer corona is demonstrated and latitudinally averaged rates formed and determined as a function of distance from the Sun. The altitude extent of the low latitude closed coronal field region is inferred from the determined rotation periods which is important to the ability of the solar atmosphere to retain energetic particles. For the inner green line corona (<2 R⊙) we determine a synodic rotation period of (27.4±0.1) days, whereas, for the outer white- light corona, (>2.5 R⊙) we determine a rotation period of (27.7±0.1) days.

On the basis of the observational picture established in the report of Mason, von Steiger et al.(1999) the status of theoretical models on origin, injection, and acceleration of particles associated with Corotating Interaction Regions (CIRs) is reviewed. This includes diffusive or first-order Fermi acceleration at oblique shocks, adiabatic deceleration in the solar wind, stochastic acceleration in Alfvén waves and oblique propagating magnetosonic waves, and shock surfing as possible injection mechanism to discriminate pickup ions from solar wind ions.

This report emphasizes new observational aspects of CIR ions revealed by advanced instruments launched on the Ulysses, WIND, SOHO, and ACE spacecraft, and by the unique vantage point of Ulysses which carried out the first survey of Corotating Interaction Region (CIR) properties over a very wide range of heliolatitudes. With this more complete observational picture established, this review is the basis to consider the status of theoretical models on origin, injection, and acceleration of CIR particles reported by Scholer, Mann et al.(1999) in this volume.

Ulysses observed a stable strong CIR from early 1992 through 1994 during its first journey into the southern hemisphere. After the rapid latitude scan in early 1995, Ulysses observed a weaker CIR from early 1996 to mid-1997 in the northern hemisphere as it traveled back to the ecliptic at the orbit of Jupiter. These two CIRs are the observational basis of the investigation into the latitudinal structure of CIRs. The first CIR was caused by an extension of the northern coronal hole into the southern hemisphere during declining solar activity, whereas the second CIR near solar minimum activity was caused by small warps in the streamer belt. The latitudinal structure is described through the presentation of three 26-day periods during the southern CIR. The first at ∼24°S shows the full plasma interaction region including fast and slow wind streams, the compressed shocked flows with embedded stream interface and heliospheric current sheet (HCS), and the forward and reverse shocks with associated accelerated ions and electrons. The second at 40°S exhibits only the reverse shock, accelerated particles, and the 26-day modulation of cosmic rays. The third at 60°S shows only the accelerated particles and modulated cosmic rays. The possible mechanisms for the access of the accelerated particles and the CIR-modulated cosmic rays to high latitudes above the plasma interaction region are presented. They include direct magnetic field connection across latitude due to stochastic field line weaving or to systematic weaving caused by solar differential rotation combined with non-radial expansion of the fast wind. Another possible mechanism is particle diffusion across the average magnetic field, which includes stochastic field line weaving. A constraint on connection to a distant portion of the CIR is energy loss in the solar wind, which is substantial for the relatively slow-moving accelerated ions. Finally, the weaker northern CIR is compared with the southern CIR. It is weak because the inclination of the streamer belt and HCS decreased as Ulysses traveled to lower latitudes so that the spacecraft remained at about the maximum latitudinal extent of the HCS.