Coronal bright fronts (commonly called “EIT waves”) have been regularly observed in extreme ultraviolet observations of the solar corona for more than 15 years, but their physical nature remains in dispute. The interpretation of these propagating disturbances is a source of strong debate in the scientific community, with wave and pseudo-wave theories competing to explain the myriad observations. However, support for these theories is commonly drawn from individual case studies and the comparison of a limited number of observable characteristics.

This ISSI International Team was proposed with the goal of determining the true nature of “EIT waves”. Achieving this goal requires the use of a combination of observational and simulated data to extract physical characteristics of these coronal disturbances and compare them to the predictions of competing theories and models. The Team consists of experts in the observation, simulation, and theory of “EIT waves” and has been chosen to provide a suitable balance between the wave and pseudo-wave interpretations of this phenomenon.