scholarly journals Evolutionary signatures in complex ejecta and their driven shocks

2004 ◽  
Vol 22 (10) ◽  
pp. 3679-3698 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. J. Farrugia ◽  
D. B. Berdichevsky

Abstract. We examine interplanetary signatures of ejecta-ejecta interactions. To this end, two time intervals of inner-heliospheric (≤1AU) observations separated by 2 solar cycles are chosen where ejecta/magnetic clouds are in the process of interacting to form complex ejecta. At the Sun, both intervals are characterized by many coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and flares. In each case, a complement of observations from various instruments on two spacecraft are examined in order to bring out the in-situ signatures of ejecta-ejecta interactions and their relation to solar observations. In the first interval (April 1979), data are shown from Helios-2 and ISEE-3, separated by ~0.33AU in radial distance and 28° in heliographic longitude. In the second interval (March-April 2001), data from the SOHO and Wind probes are combined, relating effects at the Sun and their manifestations at 1AU on one of Wind's distant prograde orbits. At ~0.67AU, Helios-2 observes two individual ejecta which have merged by the time they are observed at 1AU by ISEE-3. In March 2001, two distinct Halo CMEs (H-CMEs) are observed on SOHO on 28-29 March approaching each other with a relative speed of 500kms-1 within 30 solar radii. In order to isolate signatures of ejecta-ejecta interactions, the two event intervals are compared with expectations for pristine (isolated) ejecta near the last solar minimum, extensive observations on which were given by Berdichevsky et al. (2002). The observations from these two event sequences are then intercompared. In both event sequences, coalescence/merging was accompanied by the following signatures: heating of the plasma, acceleration of the leading ejecta and deceleration of the trailing ejecta, compressed field and plasma in the leading ejecta, disappearance of shocks and the strengthening of shocks driven by the accelerated ejecta. A search for reconnection signatures at the interface between the two ejecta in the March 2001 event was inconclusive because the measured changes in the plasma velocity tangential to the interface (Δνt) were not correlated with Δ(Bt /ρ). This was possibly due to lack of sufficient magnetic shear across the interface. The ejecta mergers altered interplanetary parameters considerably, leading to contrasting geoeffects despite broadly similar solar activity. The complex ejecta on 31 March 2001 caused a double-dip ring current enhancement, resulting in two great storms (Dst, corrected for the effect of magnetopause currents, <-450nT), while the merger on 5 April 1979 produced only a corrected Dst of ~-100nT, mainly due to effects of magnetopause currents.

Author(s):  
Wageesh Mishra ◽  
Urmi Doshi ◽  
Nandita Srivastava

We attempt to understand the influence of the heliospheric state on the expansion behavior of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and their interplanetary counterparts (ICMEs) in solar cycles 23 and 24. Our study focuses on the distributions of the radial sizes and duration of ICMEs, their sheaths, and magnetic clouds (MCs). We find that the average radial size of ICMEs (MCs) at 1 AU in cycle 24 is decreased by ∼33% (∼24%) of its value in cycle 23. This is unexpected as the reduced total pressure in cycle 24 should have allowed the ICMEs in cycle 24 to expand considerably to larger sizes at 1 AU. To understand this, we study the evolution of radial expansion speeds of CME-MC pairs between the Sun and Earth based on their remote and in situ observations. We find that radial expansion speeds of MCs at 1 AU in solar cycles 23 and 24 are only 9 and 6%, respectively, of their radial propagation speeds. Also, the fraction of radial propagation speeds as expansion speeds of CMEs close to the Sun are not considerably different between solar cycles 23 and 24. We also find a constant (0.63 ± 0.1) dimensionless expansion parameter of MCs at 1 AU for both solar cycles 23 and 24. We suggest that the reduced heliospheric pressure in cycle 24 is compensated by the reduced magnetic content inside CMEs/MCs, which did not allow the CMEs/MCs to expand enough in the later phase of their propagation. Furthermore, the average radial sizes of sheaths are the same in both cycles, which is unexpected, given the weaker CMEs/ICMEs in cycle 24. We discuss the possible causes and consequences of our findings relevant for future studies.


2004 ◽  
Vol 22 (10) ◽  
pp. 3741-3749 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Gonzalez-Esparza ◽  
A. Santillán ◽  
J. Ferrer

Abstract. We studied the heliospheric evolution in one and two dimensions of the interaction between two ejecta-like disturbances beyond the critical point: a faster ejecta 2 overtaking a previously launched slower ejecta 1. The study is based on a hydrodynamic model using the ZEUS-3-D code. This model can be applied to those cases where the interaction occurs far away from the Sun and there is no merging (magnetic reconnection) between the two ejecta. The simulation shows that when the faster ejecta 2 overtakes ejecta 1 there is an interchange of momentum between the two ejecta, where the leading ejecta 1 accelerates and the tracking ejecta 2 decelerates. Both ejecta tend to arrive at 1AU having similar speeds, but with the front of ejecta 1 propagating faster than the front of ejecta 2. The momentum is transferred from ejecta 2 to ejecta 1 when the shock initially driven by ejecta 2 passes through ejecta 1. Eventually the two shock waves driven by the two ejecta merge together into a single stronger shock. The 2-D simulation shows that the evolution of the interaction can be very complex and there are very different signatures of the same event at different viewing angles; however, the transferring of momentum between the two ejecta follows the same physical mechanism described above. These results are in qualitative agreement with in-situ plasma observations of "multiple magnetic clouds" detected at 1AU.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiang Hu ◽  
Wen He ◽  
Lingling Zhao ◽  
Edward Lu

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) represent one type of the major eruption from the Sun. Their interplanetary counterparts, the interplanetary CMEs (ICMEs), are the direct manifestations of these structures when they propagate into the heliosphere and encounter one or more observing spacecraft. The ICMEs generally exhibit a set of distinctive signatures from the in-situ spacecraft measurements. A particular subset of ICMEs, the so-called Magnetic Clouds (MCs), is more uniquely defined and has been studied for decades, based on in-situ magnetic field and plasma measurements. By utilizing the latest multiple spacecraft measurements and analysis tools, we report a detailed study of the internal magnetic field configuration of an MC event observed by both the Solar Orbiter (SO) and Wind spacecraft in the solar wind near the Sun-Earth line. Both two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) models are applied to reveal the flux rope configurations of the MC. Various geometrical as well as physical parameters are derived and found to be similar within error estimates for the two methods. These results quantitatively characterize the coherent MC flux rope structure crossed by the two spacecraft along different paths. The implication for the radial evolution of this MC event is also discussed.


2008 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 213-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Rodriguez ◽  
A. N. Zhukov ◽  
S. Dasso ◽  
C. H. Mandrini ◽  
H. Cremades ◽  
...  

Abstract. We analyze two magnetic clouds (MCs) observed in different points of the heliosphere. The main aim of the present study is to provide a link between the different aspects of this phenomenon, starting with information on the origins of the MCs at the Sun and following by the analysis of in-situ observations at 1 AU and at Ulysses. The candidate source regions were identified in SOHO/EIT and SOHO/MDI observations. They were correlated with H-α images that were obtained from ground-based observatories. Hints on the internal magnetic field configuration of the associated coronal mass ejections are obtained from LASCO C2 images. In interplanetary space, magnetic and plasma moments of the distribution function of plasma species (ACE/Ulysses) were analyzed together with information on the plasma composition, and the results were compared between both spacecraft in order to understand how these structures interact and evolve in their cruise from the Sun to 5 AU. Additionally, estimates of global magnitudes of magnetic fluxes and helicity were obtained from magnetic field models applied to the data in interplanetary space. We have found that these magnetic characteristics were well kept from their solar source, up to 5 AU where Ulysses provided valuable information which, together with that obtained from ACE, can help to reinforce the correct matching of solar events and their interplanetary counterparts.


2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (S286) ◽  
pp. 149-153
Author(s):  
Hebe Cremades ◽  
Cristina H. Mandrini ◽  
Sergio Dasso

AbstractWe have investigated two full solar rotations belonging to two distinct solar minima, in the frame of two coordinated observational and research campaigns. The nearly uninterrupted gathering of solar coronal data since the beginning of the SOHO era offers the exceptional possibility of comparing two solar minima for the first time, with regard to coronal transients. This study characterizes the variety of outward-travelling transients observed in the solar corona during both time intervals, from very narrow jet-like events to coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Their solar source regions and ensuing interplanetary structures were identified and characterized. Multi-wavelength images from the space missions SOHO, Yohkoh and STEREO, and ground-based observatories were studied for coronal ejecta and their solar sources, while in situ data registered by the ACE spacecraft were inspected for interplanetary CMEs and magnetic clouds. Instrumental aspects such as dissimilar resolution, cadence, and fields of view are considered in order to discern instrumentally-driven disparities from inherent differences between solar minima.


2021 ◽  
Vol 922 (1) ◽  
pp. 64
Author(s):  
H. Xie ◽  
N. Gopalswamy ◽  
S. Akiyama

Abstract We have performed the first comprehensive statistical analysis comparing flux rope (FR) structures of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) near the Sun and at 1 au, using Solar and Heliospheric Observatory and Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory measurements for the two full solar cycles 23 and 24. This study aims to investigate the physical connection of 102 magnetic FRs among solar source regions, CMEs in the extended corona, and magnetic clouds (MCs) near Earth. Our main results are as follows: (1) We confirmed that the hemispheric-helicity rule holds true for ∼87% of our 102 events. For the 13 events that do not follow this rule, the FR axis directions and helicity signs can be inferred from soft X-ray and extreme ultraviolet images and magnetogram data in the source regions (e.g., coronal arcade skews, Fe xii stalks, sigmoids, and magnetic tongues). (2) Around 25% of the 102 events have rotations >40° between the MC and CME-FR axial orientations. (3) For ∼56% of these rotational events, the FR rotations occurred within the COR2 field of view, which can be predicted from the CME tilts obtained from FR fitting models. In addition, we found that for 89% of the 19 stealth CMEs under study, we were able to use coronal neutral line locations and tilts to predict the FR helicity and its axial direction in the MCs. The above results should help improve the prediction of FR structures in situ. We discuss their implications on space weather forecasts.


2005 ◽  
Vol 20 (29) ◽  
pp. 6650-6653
Author(s):  
A. GERANIOS ◽  
M. VANDAS ◽  
E. ANTONIADOU ◽  
O. ZACHAROPOULOU

Magnetic clouds are ideal objects for solar-terrestrial studies because of their simplicity and their extended time intervals of southward and northward magnetic fields. Magnetic clouds constitute a significant subset of coronal mass ejections with remarkable characteristics in the interplanetary medium and a strong influence on the Earth's magnetosphere, giving rise to geomagnetic storms. The evolution of such a cloud from the neighborhood of the Sun up to the Earth is numerically simulated for two cases, without and with a presence of a faster moving shock front. Its influence on the magnetosphere can be seen by the triggered geomagnetic storm. Therefore, magnetic clouds are an important subject for space weather predictions.


2000 ◽  
Vol 178 ◽  
pp. 303-316
Author(s):  
A.H. Andrei ◽  
F. Laclare ◽  
J.L. Penna ◽  
E.G. Jilinski ◽  
S.P. Puliaev ◽  
...  

AbstractSince 1978 at the Calern Observatory-France and from 1996 at the Observatório Nacional (O.N.)-Brasil solar observations have been carried out, aiming primarily to study the solar diameter. The ensemble of these two series is noteworthy by the length of Calern’s, which spans about two solar cycles, and by the high density of O.N.’s, with typically 20 observations per day, on each side of the meridian, all year around. The precision of a single measure is 015 for the northern hemisphere observations and 02 for the southern hemisphere observations.The characteristics of the combined series enabled detailed searches for anomalous trends (e.g., from atmospheric origin) and systematic bias (e.g., from instrumental origin). The analysis show the series robust for either. Thus there is a possiblity to investigate the variable time of transit of the solar disc across the almucantars of observation.The apparent solar time, defined by the actual diurnal motion of the Sun, shows variations because of the varying rate of motion of the Sun in hour angle. That is, due to the inequalities in the annual motion along the ecliptic and to the inclination of the ecliptic to the equator.In this work we detail the series characteristics and discuss the determination of the hour angle of the true Sun, as exemplified by the equation of time. The accuracy of the determination varies with the solar declination and the length of the observed apparent orbit. Typical precisions follow those for the semi-diameter determinations.


2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (S300) ◽  
pp. 245-254
Author(s):  
Pascal Démoulin

AbstractInterplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections (ICMEs), and more specifically Magnetic Clouds (MCs), are detected with in situ plasma and magnetic measurements. They are the continuation of the CMEs observed with imagers closer to the Sun. A review of their properties is presented with a focus on their magnetic configuration and its evolution. Many recent observations, both in situ and with imagers, point to a key role of flux ropes, a conclusion which is also supported by present coronal eruptive models. Then, is a flux rope generically present in an ICME? How to quantify its 3D physical properties when it is detected locally as a MC? Is it a simple flux rope? How does it evolve in the solar wind? This paper reviews our present answers and limited understanding to these questions.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brigitte Schmieder ◽  
Stefaan Poedts ◽  
Christine Verbeke

&lt;p&gt;In 2002 (Cycle 23), a weak impact on the magnetosphere of the Earth has been reported for six halo CMEs related to six X-class flares and with velocities higher than 1000 km/s. The registered Dst minima are all between -17 nT and -50 nT.&amp;#160; A study of the Sun-Earth chain of phenomena related to these CMEs reveals that four of them have a source at the limb and two have a source close to the solar disk center (Schmieder et al., 2020). All of CME magnetic clouds had a low z&amp;#8209;component of the magnetic field, oscillating between positive and negative values.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We performed a set of EUHFORIA simulations in an attempt to explain the low observed Dst and the observed magnetic fields. We study the degree of deviation of these halo CMEs from the Sun-Earth axis and as well as their deformation and erosion due to their interaction with the ambient solar wind (resulting in magnetic reconnections) according to the input of parameters and their chance to hit other planets. The inhomogeneous nature of the solar wind and encounters&amp;#160; are also important parameters influencing the impact of CMEs on planetary magnetospheres.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;


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