First Apparent Speed Maps of Density Structures in the Solar Corona from 1.2 to 3 R⊙ Derived from Proba-3/ASPIICS White-light Images

Zac Bailey; Shadia R Habbal; Miloslav Druckmüller; Colby Haggerty

doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aea849

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First Apparent Speed Maps of Density Structures in the Solar Corona from 1.2 to 3 R⊙ Derived from Proba-3/ASPIICS White-light Images

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First Apparent Speed Maps of Density Structures in the Solar Corona from 1.2 to 3 R⊙ Derived from Proba-3/ASPIICS White-light Images

Zac Bailey, Shadia R Habbal, Miloslav Druckmüller and Colby Haggerty

Astrophysical journal. Letters, Vol.1010(1), L14

10/10/2026

DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/aea849

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Abstract

Characterizing the sources and dynamics of solar-wind streams is challenging given the complexity of the magnetized density structures and the absence of speed measurements in the low corona. White-light (WL) coronagraphic observations from the recently launched Proba-3/ASPIICS mission now offer the first opportunity to capture the dynamics of WL coronal structures over an uninterrupted span between 1.2 and 3 R⊙ over a period of several hours. In this Letter, we use a 5 minute time-differenced wavelet-optimized whitening technique to measure apparent motions of WL density structures in the corona using features measured in height–time plots. These height–time plots are subsequently enhanced using a technique similar to the principle of multiscale Gaussian normalization to automate the detection of these features to produce plane-of-sky apparent speed maps. Application of this technique to the Proba-3/ASPIICS data acquired on 2025 July 16 revealed the presence of outflows, as well as inflows, with average speeds of 100 and −50 km s−1, respectively. The speed of a coronal mass ejection (CME), its leading edge and its fine scale substructures, which were clearly visible within the field of view, could also be measured. These first apparent speed maps of coronal density structures highlight the currently unsurpassed effectiveness of the Proba-3 mission for the exploration of the origin and evolution of the solar wind. They also provide novel boundary conditions for two- and three-dimensional models of the dynamic corona.

Data Acquisition

Boundary conditions

Corona

Coronal density

Coronal mass ejection

Density

Solar corona

Solar wind

Three dimensional models

White light

Details

Title: Subtitle: First Apparent Speed Maps of Density Structures in the Solar Corona from 1.2 to 3 R⊙ Derived from Proba-3/ASPIICS White-light Images
Creators: Zac Bailey
Shadia R Habbal - University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Miloslav Druckmüller - Brno University of Technology
Colby Haggerty - University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Astrophysical journal. Letters, Vol.1010(1), L14
DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/aea849
ISSN: 2041-8213
eISSN: 2041-8213
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Grant note: NASA divided by SMD divided by Heliophysics Division (HPD): 80NSSC23K0099 Ministry of Education Czechia: LUAUS26161
The ASPIICS data are courtesy of the Proba-3/ASPIICS consortium. Proba-3 is a technology demonstration mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) and a Mission of Opportunity in the ESA Science Programme. The ASPIICS project is developed under the ESA's General Support Technology Programme (GSTP) and the ESA's PRODEX Programme, thanks to the contributions of Belgium, Poland, Romania, Italy, Ireland, Greece, and Czechia.
Language: English
Date published: 10/10/2026
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy
Record Identifier: 9985242770002771

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