Possible reasons for the frequency splitting of the harmonics of type II solar radio bursts

Abstract

AIA/SDO data in the 193 Å channel preceding a coronal mass ejection observed at the solar limb on June 13, 2010 are used to simultaneously identify and examine two different shock fronts. The angular size of each front relative to the CME center was about 20°, and their propagation directions differed by ≈25° (≈4° in position angle). The faster front, called the blast shock, advanced the other front, called the piston shock, by R ≈ (0.02-0.03)R⊙ (R⊙ is the solar radius) and had a maximum initial speed of V_B ≈ 850 km/s (with V_P ≈ 700 km/s for the piston shock). The appearance and motion of these shocks were accompanied by a Type II radio burst observed at the fundamental frequency F and second harmonic H. Each frequency was split into two close frequencies f₁ and f₂ separated by Δf = f₂ - f₁ ≪ F, H. It is concluded that the observed frequency splitting Δf of the F and H components of the Type II burst could result from the simultaneous propagation of piston and blast shocks moving with different speeds in somewhat different directions displaying different coronal-plasma densities.