476 research outputs found
Determining the azimuthal properties of coronal mass ejections from multi-spacecraft remote-sensing observations with stereo secchi
We discuss how simultaneous observations by multiple heliospheric imagers can
provide some important information about the azimuthal properties of Coronal
Mass Ejections (CMEs) in the heliosphere. We propose two simple models of CME
geometry that can be used to derive information about the azimuthal deflection
and the azimuthal expansion of CMEs from SECCHI/HI observations. We apply these
two models to four CMEs well-observed by both STEREO spacecraft during the year
2008. We find that in three cases, the joint STEREO-A and B observations are
consistent with CMEs moving radially outward. In some cases, we are able to
derive the azimuthal cross-section of the CME fronts, and we are able to
measure the deviation from self-similar evolution. The results from this
analysis show the importance of having multiple satellites dedicated to space
weather forecasting, for example in orbits at the Lagrangian L4 and L5 points.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, 1 table, accepted to Ap
Deriving the radial distances of wide coronal mass ejections from elongation measurements in the heliosphere - Application to CME-CME interaction
We present general considerations regarding the derivation of the radial
distances of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from elongation angle measurements
such as those provided by SECCHI and SMEI, focusing on measurements in the
Heliospheric Imager 2 (HI-2) field of view (i.e. past 0.3 AU). This study is
based on a three-dimensional (3-D) magneto-hydrodynamics (MHD) simulation of
two CMEs observed by SECCHI on January 24-27, 2007. Having a 3-D simulation
with synthetic HI images, we are able to compare the two basic methods used to
derive CME positions from elongation angles, the so-called "Point-P" and
"Fixed-Phi" approximations.
We confirm, following similar works, that both methods, while valid in the
most inner heliosphere, yield increasingly large errors in HI-2 field of view
for fast and wide CMEs. Using a simple model of a CME as an expanding
self-similar sphere, we derive an analytical relationship between elongation
angles and radial distances for wide CMEs. This relationship is simply the
harmonic mean of the "Point-P" and "Fixed-Phi'' approximations and it is aimed
at complementing 3-D fitting of CMEs by cone models or flux rope shapes. It
proves better at getting the kinematics of the simulated CME right when we
compare the results of our line-of-sights to the MHD simulation. Based on this
approximation, we re-analyze the J-maps (time-elongation maps) in January
26-27, 2007 and present the first observational evidence that the merging of
CMEs is associated with a momentum exchange from the faster ejection to the
slower one due to the propagation of the shock wave associated with the fast
eruption through the slow eruption.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, accepted in Annales Geophysicae (Special Issue:
Three eyes on the Sun - multi-spacecraft studies of the corona and impacts on
the heliosphere
Accuracy and Limitations of Fitting and Stereoscopic Methods to Determine the Direction of Coronal Mass Ejections from Heliospheric Imagers Observations
Using data from the Heliospheric Imagers (HIs) onboard STEREO, it is possible
to derive the direction of propagation of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in
addition to their speed with a variety of methods. For CMEs observed by both
STEREO spacecraft, it is possible to derive their direction using simultaneous
observations from the twin spacecraft and also, using observations from only
one spacecraft with fitting methods. This makes it possible to test and compare
different analyses techniques. In this article, we propose a new fitting method
based on observations from one spacecraft, which we compare to the commonly
used fitting method of Sheeley et al. (1999). We also compare the results from
these two fitting methods with those from two stereoscopic methods, focusing on
12 CMEs observed simultaneously by the two STEREO spacecraft in 2008 and 2009.
We find evidence that the fitting method of Sheeley et al. (1999) can result in
significant errors in the determination of the CME direction when the CME
propagates outside of 60deg \pm 20 deg from the Sun-spacecraft line. We expect
our new fitting method to be better adapted to the analysis of halo or limb
CMEs with respect to the observing spacecraft. We also find some evidence that
direct triangulation in the HI fields-of-view should only be applied to CMEs
propagating approximatively towards Earth (\pm 20deg from the Sun-Earth line).
Last, we address one of the possible sources of errors of fitting methods: the
assumption of radial propagation. Using stereoscopic methods, we find that at
least seven of the 12 studied CMEs had an heliospheric deflection of less than
20deg as they propagated in the HI fields-of-view, which, we believe, validates
this approximation.Comment: 17 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables, accepted to Solar Physic
The August 24, 2002 Coronal Mass Ejection: When a Western Limb Event Connects to Earth
We discuss how some coronal mass ejections (CMEs) originating from the
western limb of the Sun are associated with space weather effects such as solar
energetic particles (SEPs), shock or geo-effective ejecta at Earth. We focus on
the August 24, 2002 coronal mass ejection, a fast (~ 2000 km/s) eruption
originating from W81. Using a three-dimensional magneto-hydrodynamic simulation
of this ejection with the Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF), we show how
a realistic initiation mechanism enables us to study the deflection of the CME
in the corona and the heliosphere. Reconnection of the erupting magnetic field
with that of neighboring streamers and active regions modify the solar
connectivity of the field lines connecting to Earth and can also partly explain
the deflection of the eruption during the first tens of minutes. Comparing the
results at 1 AU of our simulation with observations by the ACE spacecraft, we
find that the simulated shock does not reach Earth, but has a maximum angular
span of about 120, and reaches 35 West of Earth in 58 hours. We
find no significant deflection of the CME and its associated shock wave in the
heliosphere, and we discuss the consequences for the shock angular span.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, IAU 257 Symposium Proceeding
Numerical Investigation of a Coronal Mass Ejection from an Anemone Active Region: Reconnection and Deflection of the 2005 August 22 Eruption
We present a numerical investigation of the coronal evolution of a coronal
mass ejection (CME) on 2005 August 22 using a 3-D thermodynamics
magnetohydrodynamic model, the SWMF. The source region of the eruption was
anemone active region (AR) 10798, which emerged inside a coronal hole. We
validate our modeled corona by producing synthetic extreme ultraviolet (EUV)
images, which we compare to EIT images. We initiate the CME with an
out-of-equilibrium flux rope with an orientation and chirality chosen in
agreement with observations of a H-alpha filament. During the eruption, one
footpoint of the flux rope reconnects with streamer magnetic field lines and
with open field lines from the adjacent coronal hole. It yields an eruption
which has a mix of closed and open twisted field lines due to interchange
reconnection and only one footpoint line-tied to the source region. Even with
the large-scale reconnection, we find no evidence of strong rotation of the CME
as it propagates. We study the CME deflection and find that the effect of the
Lorentz force is a deflection of the CME by about 3 deg/Rsun towards the East
during the first 30 minutes of the propagation. We also produce coronagraphic
and EUV images of the CME, which we compare with real images, identifying a
dimming region associated with the reconnection process. We discuss the
implication of our results for the arrival at Earth of CMEs originating from
the limb and for models to explain the presence of open field lines in magnetic
clouds.Comment: 14 pages, 8 Figures, accepted to Astrophysical Journa
Solar-Terrestrial Simulations of CMEs with a Realistic Initiation Mechanism: Case Study for Active Region 10069
Most simulations of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) to date either focus on the
interplanetary propagation of a giant plasma "blob" without paying too much
attention to its origin and to the formation process or they focus on the
complex evolution of the coronal magnetic field due to (sub-)photospheric
motions which result in an eruption. Here, we present global simulations of
CMEs where coronal motions are used to produce a realistic evolution of the
coronal magnetic field and cause an eruption. We focus on active region 10069,
which produced a number of eruptions in late August 2002, including the August
24, 2002 CME - a fast (~2000 km/s) eruption originating from W81-, as well as a
slower eruption on August 22, 2002 (originating from W62). Using a
three-dimensional magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) simulation of these ejections with
the Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF), we show how a realistic initiation
mechanism enables us to study the deflection of the CME in the corona and in
the heliosphere. Reconnection of the erupting magnetic field with that of
neighboring streamers and active regions modify the solar connectivity of the
field lines connecting to Earth and change the expected solar energetic
particle fluxes. Comparing the results at 1 AU of our simulations with in situ
observations by the ACE spacecraft, we propose an alternate solar origin for
the shock wave observed at L1 on August 26.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, refereed proceedings for Solar Wind 1
Towards a Realistic, Data-Driven Thermodynamic MHD Model of the Global Solar Corona
In this work we describe our implementation of a thermodynamic energy
equation into the global corona model of the Space Weather Modeling Framework
(SWMF), and its development into the new Lower Corona (LC) model. This work
includes the integration of the additional energy transport terms of coronal
heating, electron heat conduction, and optically thin radiative cooling into
the governing magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) energy equation. We examine two
different boundary conditions using this model; one set in the upper transition
region (the Radiative Energy Balance model), as well as a uniform chromospheric
condition where the transition region can be modeled in its entirety. Via
observation synthesis from model results and the subsequent comparison to full
sun extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and soft X-Ray observations of Carrington
Rotation (CR) 1913 centered on Aug 27, 1996, we demonstrate the need for these
additional considerations when using global MHD models to describe the unique
conditions in the low corona. Through multiple simulations we examine ability
of the LC model to asses and discriminate between coronal heating models, and
find that a relative simple empirical heating model is adequate in reproducing
structures observed in the low corona. We show that the interplay between
coronal heating and electron heat conduction provides significant feedback onto
the 3D magnetic topology in the low corona as compared to a potential field
extrapolation, and that this feedback is largely dependent on the amount of
mechanical energy introduced into the corona.Comment: 17 pages, 11 figures, Submitted to ApJ on 12/08/200
Assessing the Constrained Harmonic Mean Method for Deriving the Kinematics of ICMEs with a Numerical Simulation
In this study we use a numerical simulation of an artificial coronal mass
ejection (CME) to validate a method for calculating propagation directions and
kinematical profiles of interplanetary CMEs (ICMEs). In this method
observations from heliospheric images are constrained with in-situ plasma and
field data at 1 AU. These data are used to convert measured ICME elongations
into distance by applying the Harmonic Mean approach that assumes a spherical
shape of the ICME front. We use synthetic white-light images, similar as
observed by STEREO-A/HI, for three different separation angles between remote
and in-situ spacecraft, of 30{\deg}, 60{\deg}, and 90{\deg}. To validate the
results of the method they are compared to the apex speed profile of the
modeled ICME, as obtained from a top view. This profile reflects the "true"
apex kinematics since it is not affected by scattering or projection effects.
In this way it is possible to determine the accuracy of the method for
revealing ICME propagation directions and kinematics. We found that the
direction obtained by the constrained Harmonic Mean method is not very
sensitive to the separation angle (30{\deg} sep: \phi = W7; 60{\deg} sep: \phi
= W12; 90{\deg} sep: \phi = W15; true dir.: E0/W0). For all three cases the
derived kinematics are in a relatively good agreement with the real kinematics.
The best consistency is obtained for the 30{\deg} case, while with growing
separation angle the ICME speed at 1 AU is increasingly overestimated (30{\deg}
sep: \Delta V_arr ~-50 km/s, 60{\deg} sep: \Delta V_arr ~+75 km/s, 90{\deg}
sep: \Delta V_arr ~+125 km/s). Especially for future L4/L5 missions the
60{\deg} separation case is highly interesting in order to improve space
weather forecasts.Comment: accepted for publication in Solar Physic
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