Observations and simulations of stellar coronal mass ejections

Abstract

<p indent="0mm">Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) normally refer to large-scale plasma clouds ejected from the Sun. On other stars, similar phenomena are called stellar coronal mass ejections or stellar CMEs. Based on our current understanding of solar CMEs, it is believed that stellar CMEs are likely the main drivers of space weather in star-exoplanet systems. Thus, as an important factor affecting the surrounding exoplanets, stellar CMEs play a key role in the formation of habitable worlds beyond the solar system. During certain periods of the long evolutionary histories of some stars, frequently occurring stellar CMEs could also significantly contribute to the mass and momentum loss of some stars. However, so far, there has been almost no solid observational evidence of a single stellar CME event, although some stellar CME candidates have been identified from multi-wavelength observations. Here we summarize several proposed methods of stellar CME detection, introduce existing attempts at stellar CME hunting as well as modeling of stellar CMEs and their interactions with exoplanets. We also point out limitations of these attempts and discuss future directions of stellar CME detection and modeling.