Deceleration of Coronal Mass Ejections

Decelerated motion of 12 coronal eruptions is studied. It is found that the measured decelerations and deceleration rates depend on the events' plane-of-sky velocities and heights. The dependence of deceleration on the velocity is described better by a quadratic function then by linear fit. Results are interpreted in terms of a viscous drag. An empirical relation expressing the decrease of the drag effectiveness with the projected height is established. The interplay between the Lorentz force, viscous drag, and gravity is discussed. Several examples are considered to illustrate the relative contributions of these forces under various circumstances.