Onset Of Coronal Mass Ejections Research Articles

The X-ray Light-Curves and CME onset of a M2.5 flare of July 6, 2006

AbstractA M2.5 solar flare observed by RHESSI in the 6-100 keV range on July 6, 2006 led to a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME). Two compact sources at 12-100 keV are seen at the beginning of the flare, whose further evolution fits well in a loop. Also, time-profiles of the flare at radio wavelengths are compared. The X-ray light-curves at different bands in the 6-100 keV range and radio time profiles show some peaks superimposed on smooth variations. The aim of this work is to compare the X-ray light-curves, of fluxes integrated over the whole source, with the physical parameters of the sources of the flare. Yashiro and Gopalswamy (2009) have found that the fraction of flares that produce CME increases with the flare energy. Here, we look for the characteristics of an M2.5 flare that could make it a generator of a CME. The idea is, in future works, to look in the light-curves of similar flares at other stars for these features. It is found that the CME onset takes place around the time when an X-ray source at 12-25 keV of Chromospheric evaporation stagnates at the loop apex, before the main peak at the light-curve at 25-50 keV and at the radio emission curves. Probably, the amount of evaporated plasma could play some role in triggering the CME.

THREE-DIMENSIONAL GEOMETRY OF A CURRENT SHEET IN THE HIGH SOLAR CORONA: EVIDENCE FOR RECONNECTION IN THE LATE STAGE OF THE CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS

ABSTRACT Motivated by the standard flare model, ray-like structures in the wake of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) have been often interpreted as proxies of the reconnecting current sheet connecting the CME with the postflare arcade. We present the three-dimensional properties of a post-CME ray derived from white light images taken from three different viewing perspectives on 2013 September 21. By using a forward modeling method, the direction, cross section, and electron density are determined within the heliocentric distance range of 5–9 R ⊙. The width and depth of the ray are 0.42 ± 0.08 R ⊙ and 1.24 ± 0.35 R ⊙, respectively, and the electron density is (2.0 ± 0.5) × 104 cm−3, which seems to be constant with height. Successive blobs moving outward along the ray are observed around 13 hr after the parent CME onset. We model the three-dimensional geometry of the parent CME with the Gradual Cylindrical Shell model and find that the CME and ray are coaxial. We suggest that coaxial post-CME rays, seen in coronagraph images, with successive formation of blobs could be associated with current sheets undergoing magnetic reconnection in the late stage of CMEs.

Magnetohydrodynamics modeling of coronal magnetic field and solar eruptions based on the photospheric magnetic field

In this paper, we summarize current progress on using the observed magnetic fields for magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) modeling of the coronal magnetic field and of solar eruptions, including solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Unfortunately, even with the existing state-of-the-art solar physics satellites, only the photospheric magnetic field can be measured. We first review the 3D extrapolation of the coronal magnetic fields from measurements of the photospheric field. Specifically, we focus on the nonlinear force-free field (NLFFF) approximation extrapolated from the three components of the photospheric magnetic field. On the other hand, because in the force-free approximation the NLFFF is reconstructed for equilibrium states, the onset and dynamics of solar flares and CMEs cannot be obtained from these calculations. Recently, MHD simulations using the NLFFF as an initial condition have been proposed for understanding these dynamics in a more realistic scenario. These results have begun to reveal complex dynamics, some of which have not been inferred from previous simulations of hypothetical situations, and they have also successfully reproduced some observed phenomena. Although MHD simulations play a vital role in explaining a number of observed phenomena, there still remains much to be understood. Herein, we review the results obtained by state-of-the-art MHD modeling combined with the NLFFF.

Cluster of solar active regions and onset of coronal mass ejections

Abstract round-the-clock solar observations with full-disk coverage of vector magnetograms and multi-wavelength images demonstrate that solar active regions (ARs) are ultimately connected with magnetic field. Often two or more ARs are clustered, creating a favorable magnetic environment for the onset of coronal mass ejections (CMEs). In this work, we describe a new type of magnetic complex: cluster of solar ARs. An AR cluster is referred to as the close connection of two or more ARs which are located in nearly the same latitude and a narrow span of longitude. We illustrate three examples of AR clusters, each of which has two ARs connected and formed a common dome of magnetic flux system. They are clusters of NOAA (i.e., National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) ARs 11226 & 11227, 11429 & 11430, and 11525 & 11524. In these AR clusters, CME initiations were often tied to the instability of the magnetic structures connecting two partner ARs, in the form of inter-connecting loops and/or channeling filaments between the two ARs. We show the evidence that, at least, some of the flare/CMEs in an AR cluster are not a phenomenon of a single AR, but the result of magnetic interaction in the whole AR cluster. The observations shed new light on understanding the mechanism(s) of solar activity. Instead of the simple bipolar topology as suggested by the so-called standard flare model, a multi-bipolar magnetic topology is more common to host the violent solar activity in solar atmosphere.

A Comparison of Coronal Mass Ejection Models with Observations for Two Large CMEs Detected During the Whole Heliosphere Interval

Two major coronal mass ejections (CMEs) observed during the Whole Heliosphere Interval (WHI) are compared with the catastrophe (CA) and eruptive flux rope (EF) models. The objective is to test two distinct mechanisms for CMEs by modeling these well-observed CMEs and comparing predictions of the theories and observed data. The two CMEs selected for this study occurred on 25 March and 5 April 2008, respectively. For the 25 March event, an M 1.7 class flare, a filament eruption, and hard X-ray (HXR) and soft X-ray (SXR) emissions were observed during the CME onset. The observed CME kinematics and SXR light curve of this event are found to be more consistent with the EF model than with the CA model. For the 5 April event, the SXR light curve shows multiple enhancements, some of which temporally coincide with successive side loop brightening and multiple foot points at the source region after the eruption. The physical connection between the side-loop multiple brightenings and the eruption cannot be determined from the data. Both models produced observationally consistent kinematics profiles, and the EF model correctly predicted the first emission enhancement. Neither model includes multiple brightenings in the formulation.

Coronal mass ejections: a driver of severe space weather

Coronal mass ejections: a driver of severe space weather

INITIATION AND EARLY EVOLUTION OF THE CORONAL MASS EJECTION ON 2009 MAY 13 FROM EXTREME-ULTRAVIOLET AND WHITE-LIGHT OBSERVATIONS

We present the results of the observations of a coronal mass ejection (CME), which occurred on May 13, 2009. The most important feature of these observations is that the CME was observed from the very early stage (the solar surface) up to a distance of 15 solar radii ($R_\odot$). Below 2 $R_\odot$, we used the data from the TESIS EUV telescopes obtained in the Fe 171 A and He 304 A lines, and above 2 $R_\odot$, we used the observations of the LASCO C2 and C3 coronagraphs. The CME was formed at a distance of 0.2-0.5 $R_\odot$from the Sun's surface as a U-shaped structure, which was observed both in the 171 A images and in white-light. Observations in the He 304 A line showed that the CME was associated with an erupting prominence, which was located not above-as predicts the standard model-but in the lowest part of the U-shaped structure close to the magnetic X-point. The prominence location can be explained with the CME breakout model. Estimates showed that CME mass increased with time. The CME trajectory was curved-its helio-latitude decreased with time. The CME started at latitude of 50$^{\circ}$ and reached the ecliptic plane at distances of 2.5 $R_\odot$. The CME kinematics can be divided into three phases: initial acceleration, main acceleration, and propagation with constant velocity. After the CME onset GOES registered a sub-A-class flare.

Abundance Enhancements in Impulsive Solar Energetic-Particle Events with Associated Coronal Mass Ejections

We study the abundances of the elements He through Pb in Fe-rich impulsive solar energetic-particle (SEP) events with measurable abundances of ions with atomic number Z>2 observed on the Wind spacecraft, and their relationship with coronal mass ejections (CMEs) observed by the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). On average the element abundances in these events are similar to coronal abundances at low Z but, for heavier elements, enhancements rise as a power law in the mass-to-charge ratio A/Q of the ions (at coronal temperatures of 2.5-3 MK) to a factor of 3 at Ne, 9 at Fe, and 900 for 75<Z<83. Energy dependences of abundances are minimal in the 2-15 MeV/amu range. The 111 of these Fe-rich impulsive SEP events we found, between November 1994 and August 2013 using the Wind spacecraft, have a 69% association rate with CMEs. The CMEs are narrow with a median width of 75 deg, are characteristically from western longitudes on the Sun, and have a median speed of ~600 km/s. Nearly all SEP onsets occur within 1.5-5 h of the CME onset. The faster (>700 km/s), wider CMEs in our sample are related to SEPs with coronal abundances indicating hot coronal plasma with fully ionized He, C, N and O and moderate enhancements of heavier elements, relative to He, but slower (<700 km/s), narrower CMEs emerge from cooler plasma where higher SEP mass-to-charge ratios, A/Q, yield much greater abundance enhancements, even for C/He and O/He. Apparently, the open magnetic-reconnection region where the impulsive SEPs are accelerated also provides the energy to drive out CME plasma, accounting for a strong, probably universal, impulsive SEP-CME association.

UVCS/SOHO catalog of coronal mass ejections from 1996 to 2005: Spectroscopic proprieties

Ultraviolet spectra of the extended solar corona have been routinely obtained by SOHO/UltraViolet Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS) since 1996. Sudden variations of spectral parameters are mainly due to the detection of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) crossing the instrumental slit. We present a catalog of CME ultraviolet spectra based upon a systematic search of events in the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) CME catalog, and we discuss their statistical properties. Our catalog includes 1059 events through the end of 2005, covering nearly a full solar cycle. It is available online at the URL http://solarweb.oato.inaf.it/UVCS_CME and embedded in the online LASCO CME catalog (http://cdaw.gsfc.nasa.gov/CME_list). The emission lines observed provide diagnostics of CME plasma parameters, such as the light‐of‐sight velocity, density, and temperature and allow to link the CME onset data to the extended corona white‐light images. The catalog indicates whether there are clear signatures of features such as shock waves, current sheets, O VI flares, helical motions, and which part of the CME structures (front, cavity, or prominence material) are detected. The most common detected structure is the cool prominence material (in about 70% of the events). For each event, the catalog also contains movies, images, plots, and information relevant to address detailed scientific investigations. The number of events detected in UV is about one tenth of the LASCO CMEs and about one fourth of the halo events. We find that UVCS tends to detect faster, more massive, and energetic CME than LASCO, and for about 40% of the events, it has been possible to determine the plasma light‐of‐sight velocity.

THE MECHANISMS FOR THE ONSET AND EXPLOSIVE ERUPTION OF CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS AND ERUPTIVE FLARES

We have investigated the onset and acceleration of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and eruptive flares. To isolate the eruption physics, our study uses the breakout model, which is insensitive to the energy buildup process leading to the eruption. We performed 2.5D simulations with adaptive mesh refinement that achieved the highest overall spatial resolution to date in a CME/eruptive flare simulation. The ultra-high resolution allows us to separate clearly the timing of the various phases of the eruption. Using new computational tools, we have determined the number and evolution of all X- and O-type nulls in the system, thereby tracking both the progress and the products of reconnection throughout the computational domain. Our results show definitively that CME onset is due to the start of fast reconnection at the breakout current sheet. Once this reconnection begins, eruption is inevitable; if this is the only reconnection in the system, however, the eruption will be slow. The explosive CME acceleration is triggered by fast reconnection at the flare current sheet. Our results indicate that the explosive eruption is caused by a resistive instability, not an ideal process. Moreover, both breakout and flare reconnections begin first as a form of weak tearing characterized by a slowly evolving plasmoids, but eventually transition to a fast form with well-defined Alfvenic reconnection jets and rapid flux transfer. This transition to fast reconnection is required for both CME onset and explosive acceleration. We discuss the key implications of our results for CME/flare observations and for theories of magnetic reconnection.

Kinematics and Flare Properties of Radio-Loud CMEs

A detailed analysis of the characteristics of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and flares associated with decameter-hectometer wavelength type-II radio bursts (hereafter DH-type-II radio bursts, DH-CMEs or radio-loud CMEs) observed in the period 1997 – 2008 is presented. A sample of 61 limb events is divided into two populations based on the residual acceleration: accelerating CMEs (a r>0) and decelerating CMEs (a r<0). We found that average speed (residual acceleration) of all limb DH-CMEs (called radio-loud CMEs) is nearly three (two) times greater than the average speed of the general population CMEs (radio-quiet CMEs). While the initial acceleration (a i) of the accelerating DH-CMEs is smaller than that of decelerating DH-CMEs (0.79 and 1.62 km s−2, respectively), the average speed and magnitude of residual acceleration of the accelerating and decelerating DH-CMEs are similar (〈V CME〉: 1254 km s−1 and 1303 km s−1; 〈a r〉: 0.026 km s−2 and 0.028 km s−2, respectively). The accelerating DH-CMEs attain their peak speed at larger heights than decelerating DH-CMEs. A good positive and negative linear correlation for accelerating and decelerating DH-CMEs (R a=0.74 and R d=−0.77, respectively) is found. The flares associated with accelerating DH-CME events have longer rise times and decay times than flares of decelerating DH-CME. The accelerating and decelerating DH-CMEs events associated with DH-type-II bursts have similar ending frequencies. The analysis of time lags between DH-type-II start and the flare onset shows that the delays are longer in accelerating DH-CMEs than decelerating DH-CMEs (P∼7 %). However, the time lags between the DH-type-II start and the CMEs onset are similar.

AN ANALYSIS OF THE ORIGIN AND PROPAGATION OF THE MULTIPLE CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS OF 2010 AUGUST 1

On 2010 August 1, the northern solar hemisphere underwent significant activity that involved a complex set of active regions near central meridian with, nearby, two large prominences and other more distant active regions. This activity culminated in the eruption of four major coronal mass ejections (CMEs), effects of which were detected at Earth and other solar system bodies. Recognizing the unprecedented wealth of data from the wide range of spacecraft that were available—providing the potential for us to explore methods for CME identification and tracking, and to assess issues regarding onset and planetary impact—we present a comprehensive analysis of this sequence of CMEs. We show that, for three of the four major CMEs, onset is associated with prominence eruption, while the remaining CME appears to be closely associated with a flare. Using instrumentation on board the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory spacecraft, three of the CMEs could be tracked out to elongations beyond 50°; their directions and speeds have been determined by various methods, not least to assess their potential for Earth impact. The analysis techniques that can be applied to the other CME, the first to erupt, are more limited since that CME was obscured by the subsequent, much faster event before it had propagated far from the Sun; we discuss the speculation that these two CMEs interact. The consistency of the results, derived from the wide variety of methods applied to such an extraordinarily complete data set, has allowed us to converge on robust interpretations of the CME onsets and their arrivals at 1 AU.

Short term topological changes of coronal holes associated with prominence eruptions and subsequent CMEs

We study the short-term topological changes of equatorial and polar coronal hole (CH) boundaries, such as a variation of their area and disintegration, associated to reconnection with nearby (within 15° distance) quiescent prominence magnetic fields leading to eruptions and subsequent Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). The examples presented here correspond to the recent solar minimum years 2008 and 2009. We consider a temporal window of one day between the CH topological changes and the start and end times of prominence eruptions and onset of CMEs. To establish this association we took into account observational conditions related to the instability of prominence/filaments, the occurrence of a CME, as well as the subsequent evolution after the CME. We found an association between short-term local topological changes in CH boundaries and the formation/disappearance of bright points near them, as well as, between short-term topological changes within the whole CH and eruptions of nearby quiescent prominences followed by the appearance of one or more CMEs.

A Numerical Study of the Response of the Coronal Magnetic Field to Flux Emergence

Large-scale solar eruptions, known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs), are regarded as the main drivers of space weather. The exact trigger mechanism of these violent events is still not completely clear; however, the solar magnetic field indisputably plays a crucial role in the onset of CMEs. The strength and morphology of the solar magnetic field are expected to have a decisive effect on CME properties, such as size and speed. This study aims to investigate the evolution of a magnetic configuration when driven by the emergence of new magnetic flux in order to get a better insight into the onset of CMEs and their magnetic structure. The three-dimensional, time-dependent equations for ideal magnetohydrodynamics are numerically solved on a spherical mesh. New flux emergence in a bipolar active region causes destabilisation of the initial stationary structure, finally resulting in an eruption. The initial magnetic topology is suitable for the ‘breakout’ CME scenario to work. Although no magnetic flux rope structure is present in the initial condition, highly twisted magnetic field lines are formed during the evolution of the system as a result of internal reconnection due to the interaction of the active region magnetic field with the ambient field. The magnetic energy built up in the system and the final speed of the CME depend on the strength of the overlying magnetic field, the flux emergence rate, and the total amount of emerged flux. The interaction with the global coronal field makes the eruption a large-scale event, involving distant parts of the solar surface.

Geomagnetic storms over the last solar cycle: A superposed epoch analysis

[1] Presented here is a discussion of the results of a superposed epoch analysis of geomagnetic storms over the last solar cycle. Storms, identified by means of their characteristic SYM-H evolution, are separated by size into weak (−150 < SYM-H ≤ −80) nT, moderate (−300 < SYM-H ≤ −150) nT, and intense (SYM-H ≤ −300) nT categories. Where possible, the corresponding solar wind (SW) onset mechanisms were located by means of 1 min ACE OMNI data. Intense storms were observed to be driven solely by coronal mass ejections (CMEs); moderate storms were dominated by CME onset, while only weak storms were driven by both CMEs and corotating interaction regions (CIRs) at a ratio of ∼2:1, respectively. As might be expected, more intense storms resulted from the largest SW enhancements. Individual storm phase durations for different storm sizes were investigated, revealing that the duration of the main phase increases with storm size to a critical point, then decreases for more intense storms, contrary to the findings of a previous study by Yokoyama and Kamide (1997). Various SW-magnetosphere coupling functions were investigated for this data set in an attempt to estimate storm size from SW conditions.

Possible radio precursors/signatures of the CMEs onset: radio type III bursts and fine structures in the centimeter-metric wavelength region

Seventy-one occurrences of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) associated with radio bursts, seemingly associated with type III bursts/fine structures (FSs), in the centimeter-metric frequency range during 2003–2005, were obtained with the spectrometers at the National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) and the Culgoora radio spectrometer and are presented. The statistical results of 68 out of 71 events associated with the radio type III bursts or FSs during the initiation or early stages of the CMEs indicate that most CMEs contain the emissions of radio type III bursts/FSs near the time of the CME's onset, in spite of their fast or slow speeds. Therefore, we propose that type III bursts and FSs are possible precursors of the onset of CMEs. We stress that the radio type III bursts/FSs in the centimeter-metric wavelength region and the CME transients possibly occurred in conjunction with the origin of the coronal precursor structures. Thus, the statistical results support the suggestions that type III bursts/FSs are indicators of extra energy input into the corona at the CMEs' onset, and that the type III bursts/FSs are produced primarily due to a coronal instability which eventually triggers the CME process. This may signify that the centimeter-metric radio bursts corresponding to or near the CME's onset are caused by the disturbed corona (possibly including minor magnetic reconnections).

Models for coronal mass ejections

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) play a key role in space weather. The mathematical modelling of these violent solar phenomena can contribute to a better understanding of their origin and evolution and as such improve space weather predictions. We review the state-of-the-art in CME simulations, including a brief overview of current models for the background solar wind as it has been shown that the background solar wind affects the onset and initial evolution of CMEs quite substantially. We mainly focus on the attempt to retrieve the initiation and propagation of CMEs in the framework of computational magnetofluid dynamics (CMFD). Advanced numerical techniques and large computer resources are indispensable when attempting to reconstruct an event from Sun to Earth. Especially the simulations developed in dedicated event studies yield very realistic results, comparable with the observations. However, there are still a lot of free parameters in these models and ad hoc source terms are often added to the equations, mimicking the physics that is not really understood yet in detail.

Pre-CME Onset Fuses – Do the STEREO Heliospheric Imagers Hold the Clues to the CME Onset Process?

Understanding the onset of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) is surely one of the holy grails of solar physics today. Inspection of data from the Heliospheric Imagers (HI), which are part of the SECCHI instrument suite aboard the two NASA STEREO spacecraft, appears to have revealed pre-eruption signatures which may provide valuable evidence for identifying the CME onset mechanism. Specifically, an examination of the HI images has revealed narrow rays comprised of a series of outward-propagating plasma blobs apparently forming near the edge of the streamer belt prior to many CME eruptions. In this pilot study, we inspect a limited dataset to explore the significance of this phenomenon, which we have termed a pre-CME ‘fuse’. Although, the enhanced expulsion of blobs may be consistent with an increase in the release of outward-propagating blobs from the streamers themselves, it could also be interpreted as evidence for interchange reconnection in the period leading to a CME onset. Indeed, it is argued that the latter could even have implications for the end-of-life of CMEs. Thus, the presence of these pre-CME fuses provides evidence that the CME onset mechanism is either related to streamer reconnection processes or the reconnection between closed field lines in the streamer belt and adjacent, open field lines. We investigate the nature of these fuses, including their timing and location with respect to CME launch sites, as well as their speed and topology.

Statistical relationship between solar flares and coronal mass ejections

AbstractWe report on the statistical relationships between solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) observed during 1996-2007 inclusively. We used soft X-ray flares observed by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) and CMEs observed by the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) mission. Main results are (1) the CME association rate increases with flare's peak flux, fluence, and duration, (2) the difference between flare and CME onsets shows a Gaussian distribution with the standard deviation σ = 17 min (σ = 15 min) for the first (second) order extrapolated CME onset, (3) the most frequent flare site is under the center of the CME span, not near one leg (outer edge) of the CMEs, (4) a good correlation was found between the flare fluence versus the CME kinetic energy. Implications for flare-CME models are discussed.

Helioseismic ring analysis of CME source regions

We apply the ring diagram technique to source regions of halo coronal mass ejections (CMEs) to study changes in acoustic mode parameters before, during, and after the onset of CMEs. We find that CME regions associated with a low value of magnetic flux have line widths smaller than the quiet regions, implying a longer life-time for the oscillation modes. We suggest that this criterion may be used to forecast the active regions which may trigger CMEs.