Abstract
Abstract Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental process in astrophysics and plasma physics that involves a change in the topological structure of magnetic fields. The long ray-like current sheet (CS) trailing behind a solar coronal mass ejection (CME) serves as a unique reconnection site, extending in length from several to over twenty solar radii. However, the three-dimensional (3D) geometry, internal reconnection process and the resultant topological changes in the magnetic field remain elusive. Here, in a 3D isothermal magnetohydrodynamic simulation that covers the entire solar-terrestrial region to follow a CME evolution through the solar wind from Sun to Earth, we reproduce all major observational features of CS and recover observationally inferred plasma blobs inside the CS. Furthermore, we find that magnetic reconnection within the long CS results in a knotting of magnetic field lines and the formation of a M\"obius band. When the CME propagates in the Sun-earth space, these knotted magnetic fields persist and continue moving earth-ward. Our findings open a new window to understanding complex topological magnetic structures.
Published Version
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