A CME MASS-DISTRIBUTION DERIVED FROM SOLWIND CORONAGRAPH OBSERVATIONS

Using estimates of the masses of nearly 1000 CMEs observed by SOLWIND from Howard ct al. (1985), we re-plot the numbers of CMEs as a functio n of CME mass on a log-linear plot. The plot is significant in that it shows a linear trend over more than a decade of CME masses. The plot indicates a simple form for the distribution of the CME masses and all ows an easy determination of the total mass ejected into the solar win d in the form of CMEs. We find that approximately 16% of the solar win d at solar maximum can be comprised of CME mass. There is no indicatio n that the numbers of low-mass CMEs increase in number above the trend set by the more massive ones. Specifically, there is no increase in t he numbers of small CMEs such that the whole of the solar wind can be comprised of them.