Evolution of Coronal Cavity from Quiescent to Eruptive Phase in Association with Coronal Mass Ejection

Abstract: We present the evolution of a coronal cavity encompassing its quiescent and eruptive phases in the lower corona. Using the multi-vantage point observations from the SDO/AIA, STEREO SECCHI/EUVI and PROBA2/SWAP EUV imagers, we capture the sequence of quasi-static equilibria of the quiescent cavity which exhibited a slow rise and expansion phase during its passage on the solar disc from 2010 May 30 to 2010 June 13. By comparing the decay-index profiles of the cavity system during the different stages of its quiescent and pre-eruptive phases we find that the decay-index value at the cavity centroid height can be used as a good indicator to predict the cavity eruption in the context of torus instability. Combining the observations of SWAP and LASCO C2/C3 we show the evolution of the EUV cavity into the white-light cavity as a three-part structure of the associated CME observed to erupt on 2010 June 13. By applying successive geometrical fits to the cavity morphology we find that the cavity exhibited non self-similar expansion in the lower corona, below 2.2 +/- 0.2 Rs, which points to the spatial scale for the radius of source surface where the coronal magnetic field lines are believed to become radial. Furthermore, the kinematic study of the erupting cavity captures both the "impulsive" and "residual" phases of acceleration along with a strong deflection of the cavity at 1.3 Rs. We also discuss the role of driving forces behind the dynamics of the morphological and kinematic evolution of the cavity.