HIGH-ENERGY SOLAR PARTICLE EVENTS IN THREE DIMENSIONS

Using SOHO particle and EUV detection and radio spectrograms from both ground-based and spaceborne instruments, we have studied the first phase of major solar energetic particle (SEP) events associated with wide and fast coronal mass ejections (CMEs) centered at different solar longitudes. Observations support the idea that acceleration of SEPs starts in the helium-rich plasma of the eruption's core well behind the CME leading edge, in association with coronal shocks and magnetic reconnection caused by the CME liftoff; and those "coronal" components dominate during the first ~1.5 hour of the SEP event, not yet being hidden by the CME-bow shock in solar wind. At magnetic connection to the eruption's periphery, onset of SEP emission is delayed for a time of the lateral expansion that is visualized by global coronal (EIT) wave. The first, "coronal" phase of SEP acceleration is followed by a second phase associated with CME-driven shock wave in solar wind, which accelerates high-energy ions from a helium-poor particle population until the interplanetary shock slows down to below 1000 km/s. Based on these and other SOHO observations, we discuss what findings can be expected from STEREO in the SOHO era perspective.