Advances in Space Research 77(12), pp. 12779-12791.
ISSN/ISBN: Not available at this time. DOI: 10.1016/j.asr.2026.03.081
Abstract: Benford’s law (BL) is an empirical observation that describes how the first significant digits (FSDs) of many real-world datasets are distributed. Specifically, it states that in a wide range of data, digits - like 1, 2, and 3 - appear as the FSDs much more frequently than digits, such as 7, 8, and 9. Massive data collected from different astrophysical phenomena provide new testing grounds for the ubiquity of this law. In the present investigation, we systematically analyze the distribution of FSDs of various characteristics of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) reported in the widely used CDAW catalog to assess the relevance of BL. The examined data on angular width, mass, acceleration, momentum, force, and kinetic energy all conform to the expected FSDs distribution as predicted by BL. In contrast, the central position angle, measurement position angle, and the velocity of the CMEs exhibit significant deviations from this law. These results indicate that while certain CME characteristics adhere to the principles of BL, others show substantial departures, thereby revealing the complexities inherent in the physical mechanisms at play, such as variations in solar magnetic field interactions or differences in the spatial and temporal dynamics of CMEs. In the non-compliance of the two characteristics the analysis captures the key properties of CMEs; their occurrence being more concentrated near the solar equator and majority of them having velocity in [200–400] km/s interval.
Bibtex:
@article{,
title = {Significant first digit distribution of coronal mass ejections characteristics},
journal = {Advances in Space Research},
volume = {77},
number = {12},
pages = {12779-12791},
year = {2026},
issn = {0273-1177},
doi = {10.1016/j.asr.2026.03.081},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0273117726004175},
author = {Tariq Ahmad Mir and Marcel R. Ausloos and Mushtaq Ahmad Darzi and Peer Mohammad Ishtiaq},
}
Reference Type: Journal Article
Subject Area(s): Physics