Analysis of the prominence associated with the coronal mass ejection of August 18, 1980

This paper develops a diagnostic method based on the observed H-alpha and continuum brightness to derive the electron density, line of sight thickness, and degree of ionization of hydrogen as functions of the temperature of the prominence filaments. Analysis of data from the event of August 18, 1980, illustrates that the rising prominence material has decreased density, increased temperature, and increased ionization of hydrogen relative to quiescent prominences in the lower corona. Hydrogen is found to be 90-99 percent ionized, electron densities are near 10 to the 8th/cu cm, and the temperature is near 20,000 K. The increased ionization is due mainly to the decreased density.