EUV Dimmings: Simple or Enigmatic?

Abstract

EUV dimmings are large-scale depletions in coronal EUV emission associated with coronal mass ejections. Their occurrence is nearly 100% correlated with fast CMEs. Many of the EUV dimming observations appear to correspond well in appearance and behavior to SXR dimmings. It has been assumed that the dimmings are merely the location of the CME mass removal in the corona, and that their similar appearance to coronal holes is because they are transient coronal holes with fieldlines opened by the coronal mass ejection. However, not all CMEs have dimmings, and large-scale E W dimmings have also been caused by heating of local plasma, and due to absorption by cool material "clouds" evolving in the wake of an eruption. Additionally, there are several ways in which these regions "heal," presumably due to the closing down of the open field lines. The presentation will include a range of EUV dimming observations, a discussion of their origin, and what they might imply about the nature of the associated CMEs.