Density and white light brightness in looplike coronal mass ejections - Importance of the preevent atmosphere

Following studies of Sime et al. (1984), in which some models that simulate coronal mass ejections were found to be inaccurate simulators, two of these models (a model of a static corona in a current-free magnetic field, and a model of a polytropic corona with a coronal streamer) were reexamined, along with a new model, which differed from the second model in that it contained an atmospheric heating term. It is shown that the inclusion of a realistic preevent atmosphere can improve agreement with observations. The essential improvement in the heated atmosphere is that the fast-mode speed is increased to the extent that shocks may not form for typical ejection velocities.