CME Eruption Research Articles

A Numerical Simulation Study on the Mechanism of Interaction between CME and Helmet Streamer

On April 14, 1980, the spacecraft SMM observed the characteristic propagating of the CME eruption in the open magnetic field between two helmet streamers, and the distortion and deflection of the helmet streamer. In this paper, by using the 2.5-dimension MHD equations, the complicated process of the interaction between the CME and helmet streamer is studied by numerical simulation. The simulation result shows the characteristic propagating of this kind of CME, the distortion and deflection of the helmet streamer observed by spacecraft SMM, as well as the inverse effect of the axial component of the magnetic field inside the helmet streamer. This simulation result is also helpful for the study on the magnetic cloud and magnetic storm.

X-Ray and EUV Observations of CME Eruption Onset

Why CMEs erupt is a major outstanding puzzle of solar physics. Signatures observable at the earliest stages of eruption onset may hold precious clues about the onset mechanism. We summarize and discuss observations from SOHO/EIT in EUV and from Yohkoh/SXT in soft X-rays of the pre-eruption and eruption phases of three CME expulsions, along with the eruptions' magnetic setting inferred from SOHO/MDI magnetograms. Our events involve clearly-observable filament eruptions and multiple neutral lines, and we use the magnetic settings and motions of the filaments to help infer the geometry and behavior of the associated erupting magnetic fields. Pre-eruption and early-eruption signatures include a relatively slow filament rise prior to eruption, and intensity dimmings and brightenings, both in the immediate neighborhood of the “core” (location of greatest magnetic shear) of the erupting fields and at locations remote from the core. These signatures and their relative timings place observational constraints on eruption mechanisms; our recent work has focused on implications for the so-called “tether cutting” and “breakout” models, but the same observational constraints are applicable to any model.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html

Source Regions of Coronal Mass Ejections

The majority of flare activity arises in active regions which contain sunspots, while CME activity can also originate from decaying active regions and even so-called quiet solar regions which contain a filament. Two classes of CME, namely flare-related CME events and CMEs associated with filament eruption are well reflected in the evolution of active regions, flare related CMEs mainly occur in young active regions containing sunspots and as the magnetic flux of active region is getting dispersed, the filament-eruption related CMEs will become dominant. This is confirmed by statistical analyses.All the CMEs are, nevertheless, caused by loss of equilibrium of the magnetic structure. With observational examples we show that the association of CME, flare and filament eruption depends on the characteristics of the source regions: (i) the strength of the magnetic field, the amount of possible free energy storage, (ii) the small- and large-scale magnetic topology of the source region as well as its evolution (new flux emergence, photospheric motions, canceling flux), and (iii) the mass loading of the configuration (effect of gravity). These examples are discussed in the framework of theoretical models.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html

Relationships between CME's and prominences

We have studied the erupting prominences which were associated with coronal mass ejections during a series of campaigns involving both spacecraft and ground-based observatories. The evolution of the physical conditions within the prominences was established from Hα and magnetic field observations. Particular attention ahs been paid to the presence of mixed amgnetic polarity in the filament channel, the evolution of the shear of the large-scale magnetic field, and the existence of multiple magnetic inversion lines. We conclude that reconnection of large-scale coronal magnetic fields is responsible for both the CME and filament eruption.