Large Coronal Mass Ejections Research Articles

Ensemble Modeling of the 23 July 2012 Coronal Mass Ejection

AbstractOn 23 July 2012 a significant and rapid coronal mass ejection (CME) was detected in situ by the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) A. This CME was unusual due to its extremely brief Sun‐to‐1 AU transit time of less than 21 h and its exceptionally high impact speed of 2246 km/s. If this CME had been Earth directed, it would have produced a significant geomagnetic storm with potentially serious consequences. To protect our ground‐ and space‐based assets, there is a clear need to accurately forecast the arrival times of such events using realistic input parameters and models run in near real time. Using Wang‐Sheely‐Arge (WSA)‐Enlil, the operational model currently employed at the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center, we investigate the sensitivity of the 23 July CME event to model input parameters. Variations in the initial CME speed, angular width, and direction, as well as the ambient solar wind background, are investigated using an ensemble approach to study the effect on the predicted arrival time of the CME at STEREO A. Factors involved in the fast transit time of this large CME are discussed, and potential improvements to modeling such events with the WSA‐Enlil model are presented.

MURCHISON WIDEFIELD ARRAY OBSERVATIONS OF ANOMALOUS VARIABILITY: A SERENDIPITOUS NIGHT-TIME DETECTION OF INTERPLANETARY SCINTILLATION

We present observations of high-amplitude rapid (2 s) variability toward two bright, compact extragalactic radio sources out of several hundred of the brightest radio sources in one of the 30x30 deg MWA Epoch of Reionization fields using the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) at 155 MHz. After rejecting intrinsic, instrumental, and ionospheric origins we consider the most likely explanation for this variability to be interplanetary scintillation (IPS), likely the result of a large coronal mass ejection propagating from the Sun. This is confirmed by roughly contemporaneous observations with the Ooty Radio Telescope. We see evidence for structure on spatial scales ranging from <1000 km to >1e6 km. The serendipitous night-time nature of these detections illustrates the new regime that the MWA has opened for IPS studies with sensitive night-time, wide-field, low-frequency observations. This regime complements traditional dedicated strategies for observing IPS and can be utilized in real-time to facilitate dedicated follow-up observations. At the same time, it allows large-scale surveys for compact (arcsec) structures in low-frequency radio sources despite the 2 arcmin resolution of the array.

Near‐Sun speed of CMEs and the magnetic nonpotentiality of their source active regions

AbstractWe show that the speed of the fastest coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that an active region (AR) can produce can be predicted from a vector magnetogram of the AR. This is shown by logarithmic plots of CME speed (from the SOHO Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph CME catalog) versus each of ten AR‐integrated magnetic parameters (AR magnetic flux, three different AR magnetic‐twist parameters, and six AR free‐magnetic‐energy proxies) measured from the vertical and horizontal field components of vector magnetograms (from the Solar Dynamics Observatory's Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager) of the source ARs of 189 CMEs. These plots show the following: (1) the speed of the fastest CMEs that an AR can produce increases with each of these whole‐AR magnetic parameters and (2) that one of the AR magnetic‐twist parameters and the corresponding free‐magnetic‐energy proxy each determine the CME‐speed upper limit line somewhat better than any of the other eight whole‐AR magnetic parameters.

FEASIBILITY OF HELIOSPHERIC IMAGING FROM NEAR EARTH

Imaging solar wind structures via Thomson scattered sunlight has proved important to understanding the inner heliosphere. The principal challenge of heliospheric imaging is background subtraction: typical solar wind features are fainter than the zodiacal light and starfield by 2-3 orders of magnitude. Careful post-processing is required to separate the solar wind signal from the static background. Remnant background, and not photon noise, is the dominant noise source in current STEREO data. We demonstrate that 10× shorter exposure times would not strongly affect the noise level in these data. Further, we demonstrate that current processing techniques are sufficient to separate not only the existing background of the STEREO images but also diffuse variable backgrounds such as are expected to be seen from low Earth orbit. We report on a hare-and-hounds style study, demonstrating blind signal extraction from STEREO/HI-2 data that have been degraded by the addition of large-scale, time-dependent artifacts to simulate viewing through airglow or high-altitude aurora. We demonstrate removal of these effects via image processing, with little degradation compared to the original. Even with as few as three highly degraded source images over 48 hr, it is possible to detect and track large coronal mass ejections more than 40° from the Sun. This implies that neither the high altitude aurora discovered by Coriolis/SMEI, nor airglow effects seen from low Earth orbit, are impediments to a hypothetical next-generation heliospheric imager in low Earth orbit; and also that post-processing is as important to heliospheric image qualitiy as are optical contamination effects.

NEAR-EARTH COSMIC RAY DECREASES ASSOCIATED WITH REMOTE CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS

Galactic cosmic ray (GCR) flux is modulated by both particle drift patterns and solar wind structures on a range of timescales. Over solar cycles, GCR flux varies as a function of the total open solar magnetic flux and the latitudinal extent of the heliospheric current sheet. Over hours, drops of a few percent in near-Earth GCR flux (Forbush decreases, FDs) are well known to be associated with the near-Earth passage of solar wind structures resulting from corotating interaction regions (CIRs) and transient coronal mass ejections (CMEs). We report on four FDs seen at ground-based neutron monitors which cannot be immediately associated with significant structures in the local solar wind. Similarly, there are significant near-Earth structures which do not produce any corresponding GCR variation. Three of the FDs are during the STEREO era, enabling in situ and remote observations from three well-separated heliospheric locations. Extremely large CMEs passed the STEREO-A spacecraft, which was behind the West limb of the Sun, approximately 2-3 days before each near-Earth FD. Solar wind simulations suggest that the CMEs combined with pre-existing CIRs, enhancing the pre-existing barriers to GCR propagation. Thus these observations provide strong evidence for the modulation of GCR flux by remote solar wind structures.

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.

The nature of strong temblors on earth and large coronal mass ejections on the Sun: Summer 2012

It was discovered that the dates of the earthquakes of the summer 2012, being ordered in accordance with the corresponding Carrington rotations (CR) of the Sun nos. 2123–2127, form four discrete isolated groups, with a 30-day periodicity of the earthquakes in each group. On the Sun, the moments of the earthquakes correspond to four groups of the discrete Carrington longitudes (CL) of the four-sector structure of the large-scale open solar magnetic field (LOSMF). Close to each time of occurrence of the earthquake, the strong coronal mass ejections (CME) of Halo and Particle Halo types were identified. It was unexpectedly discovered that the occurrence times of the earthquakes and the onsets of CMEs are approximately synchronous, either keeping slightly ahead or lagging somewhat behind each other. This means that the earthquakes and CMEs are governed by a common external factor. The hypothesis that this could have been caused by the influence of Jupiter is supported by the discovered phenomenon of the eclipse of Jupiter by the Sun in May–June 2012, when the Sun occurred between Jupiter and the Earth and a significant decline in the magnitudes of the quakes was detected on the Earth.

Time Evolution of Force-Free Parameter and Free Magnetic Energy in Active Region NOAA 10365

We describe the variation of the accumulated coronal helicity derived from the magnetic helicity flux through the photosphere in active region (AR) NOAA 10365, where several large flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) occurred. We used SOHO/MDI full-disk line-of-sight magnetograms to measure the helicity flux, and the integral of GOES X-ray flux as a proxy of the coronal energy variations due to flares or CMEs. Using the linear force-free field model, we transformed the accumulated helicity flux into a time sequence of the force-free parameter α accounting for flares or CMEs via the proxy derived from GOES observations. This method can be used to derive the value of α at different times during the AR evolution, and is a partial alternative to the commonly used match of field lines with EUV loops. By combining the accumulated helicity obtained from the observations with the linear force-free theory, we describe the main phases of the emergence process of the AR, and relate them temporally with the occurrence of flares or CMEs. Additionally, a comparison with the loop-matching method of fixing alpha at each time independently shows that the proposed method may be helpful in avoiding unrealistic or undetermined values of alpha that may originate from an insufficient quality of the image used to identify coronal loops at a given time. For the relative intensity of the considered events, the linear force-free field theory implies that there is a direct correlation between the released energy on the one hand and the product of the coronal helicity with the variation of α due to the event on the other. Therefore, the higher the value of the accumulated coronal helicity, the smaller the force-free parameter variation required to produce the same decrease in the free energy during the CMEs.

Effects of coronal mass ejections on distant coronal streamers

The effects of a large coronal mass ejection (CME) on a solar coronal streamer located roughly 90 degrees from the main direction of the CME propagation observed on January 2, 2012 by the SOHO/LASCO coronagraph are analyzed. Radial coronal streamers undergo some bending when CMEs pass through the corona, even at large angular distances from the streamers. The phenomenon resembles a bending wave traveling along the streamer. Some researchers interpret these phenomena as the effects of traveling shocks generated by rapid CMEs, while others suggest they are waves excited inside the streamers by external impacts. The analysis presented here did not find convincing arguments in favor of either of these interpretations. It is concluded that the streamer behavior results from the effect of the magnetic field of a moving magnetic rope associated with the coronal ejection. The motion of the large-scale magnetic rope away from the Sun changes the surrounding magnetic field lines in the corona, and these changes resemble the half-period of a wave running along the streamer.

PROPAGATION OF THE 2012 MARCH CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS FROM THE SUN TO HELIOPAUSE

In 2012 March the Sun exhibited extraordinary activities. In particular, the active region NOAA AR 11429 emitted a series of large coronal mass ejections (CMEs) which were imaged by STEREO as it rotated with the Sun from the east to west. These sustained eruptions are expected to generate a global shell of disturbed material sweeping through the heliosphere. A cluster of shocks and interplanetary CMEs (ICMEs) were observed near the Earth, and are propagated outward from 1 AU using an MHD model. The transient streams interact with each other, which erases memory of the source and results in a large merged interaction region (MIR) with a preceding shock. The MHD model predicts that the shock and MIR would reach 120 AU around 2013 April 22, which agrees well with the period of radio emissions and the time of a transient disturbance in galactic cosmic rays detected by Voyager 1. These results are important for understanding the "fate" of CMEs in the outer heliosphere and provide confidence that the heliopause is located around 120 AU from the Sun.

The Propagation of an Impulsive Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) due to the High Solar Flares and Moreton Waves

This paper provides a short review of some of the basic concepts related to the origin of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). The numerous ideas which have been put forward to elucidate the initiation of CMEs are categorized in terms of whether this event is a gradual CME or impulsive CME. In this case, an earth-directed Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) was observed on April 2, 2014 by the Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) C2. This recent observations obtained a large impulsive CMEs. The CME, originating from the active region AR2027. The speed of CMEs is 1600 kms-1. A halo CME, a bright expanding ring at the North- West region is exploded beginning at about 14:36 UT, and the process of departing, expansion and propagation are highlighted. We discuss the correspondence of this event with the structure of the CME in the LASCO data. It is believed that the high solar flare and a Moreton waves initiate this kind of CMEs

The Propagation of an Impulsive Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) due to the High Solar Flares and Moreton Waves

This paper provides a short review of some of the basic concepts related to the origin of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). The numerous ideas which have been put forward to elucidate the initiation of CMEs are categorized in terms of whether this event is a gradual CME or impulsive CME. In this case, an earth-directed Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) was observed on April 2, 2014 by the Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) C2. This recent observations obtained a large impulsive CMEs. The CME, originating from the active region AR2027. The speed of CMEs is 1600 kms-1. A halo CME, a bright expanding ring at the North- West region is exploded beginning at about 14:36 UT, and the process of departing, expansion and propagation are highlighted. We discuss the correspondence of this event with the structure of the CME in the LASCO data. It is believed that the high solar flare and a Moreton waves initiate this kind of CMEs

An X-Ray Observations of a Gradual Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) on 15th April 2012

In the present work, we will highlight the solar observation during 15th April 2012, solar filament eruption which is accompanied by an intense and gradual Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). The explosion of CMEs was observed at 2:12:06 UT and also can be observed by the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) with an Active Region AR1458 is crackling with C-class solar flares. The solar flare class B3 and C2 were observed beginning 2241 UT and 0142 UT. The event is considered as second largest CMEs been detected since five years. Although the solar activity within a few days is considered quite low and there are no proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit., the is still an unexpected explosion of CMEs can be occurred. The radio flux number (10.7 cm) exceeds 102 with the number of sunspot and area of sunspot increased to 77 and 270. The velocity of CMEs was calculated based on the LASCO2 data. From the results, it is clearly seen that the range of the velocity is between 200 kms-1 to 2000 kms-1. This wide of range proved that the mechanism of the CMEs is a gradual process. The explosion of CMEs velocity is located from 80º - 255º from North of the Sun. We can then conclude that currently, the rearrangement of the magnetic field, and solar flares may result in the formation of a shock that accelerates particles ahead of the CMEs loop and an active region play an important character in this event.

An X-Ray Observations of a Gradual Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) on 15th April 2012

In the present work, we will highlight the solar observation during 15th April 2012, solar filament eruption which is accompanied by an intense and gradual Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). The explosion of CMEs was observed at 2:12:06 UT and also can be observed by the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) with an Active Region AR1458 is crackling with C-class solar flares. The solar flare class B3 and C2 were observed beginning 2241 UT and 0142 UT. The event is considered as second largest CMEs been detected since five years. Although the solar activity within a few days is considered quite low and there are no proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit., the is still an unexpected explosion of CMEs can be occurred. The radio flux number (10.7 cm) exceeds 102 with the number of sunspot and area of sunspot increased to 77 and 270. The velocity of CMEs was calculated based on the LASCO2 data. From the results, it is clearly seen that the range of the velocity is between 200 kms-1 to 2000 kms-1. This wide of range proved that the mechanism of the CMEs is a gradual process. The explosion of CMEs velocity is located from 80º - 255º from North of the Sun. We can then conclude that currently, the rearrangement of the magnetic field, and solar flares may result in the formation of a shock that accelerates particles ahead of the CMEs loop and an active region play an important character in this event.

Influence of short-term solar disturbances on the fair weather conduction current

The fair weather atmospheric electrical current (J z ) couples the ionosphere to the lower atmosphere and thus provides a route by which changes in solar activity can modify processes in the lower troposphere. This paper examines the temporal variations and spectral characteristics of continuous measurements of J z conducted at the Wise Observatory in Mitzpe-Ramon, Israel (30°35′ N, 34°45′ E), during two large CMEs, and during periods of increased solar wind density.Evidence is presented for the effects of geomagnetic storms and sub-storms on low latitude J z during two coronal mass ejections (CMEs), on 24–25th October 2011 and 7–8th March 2012, when the variability in J z increased by an order of magnitude compared to normal fair weather conditions. The dynamic spectrum of the increased J z fluctuations exhibit peaks in the Pc5 frequency range. Similar low frequency characteristics occur during periods of enhanced solar wind proton density. During the October 2011 event, the periods of increased fluctuations in J z lasted for 7 h and coincided with fluctuations of the inter-planetary magnetic field (IMF) detected by the ACE satellite. We suggest downward mapping of ionospheric electric fields as a possible mechanism for the increased fluctuations.

An Investigation of the CME of 3 November 2011 and Its Associated Widespread Solar Energetic Particle Event

Multi-spacecraft observations are used to study the in-situ effects of a large coronal mass ejection (CME) erupting from the farside of the Sun on 3 November 2011, with particular emphasis on the associated solar energetic particle (SEP) event. At that time both Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) spacecraft were located more than 90 degrees from Earth and could observe the CME eruption directly, with the CME visible on-disk from STEREO-B and off the limb from STEREO-A. Signatures of pressure variations in the corona such as deflected streamers were seen, indicating the presence of a coronal shock associated with this CME eruption. The evolution of the CME and an associated extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) wave were studied using EUV and coronagraph images. It was found that the lateral expansion of the CME low in the corona closely tracked the propagation of the EUV wave, with measured velocities of 240±19 km s−1 and 221±15 km s−1 for the CME and wave, respectively. Solar energetic particles were observed to arrive first at STEREO-A, followed by electrons at the Wind spacecraft at L1, then STEREO-B, and finally protons arrived simultaneously at Wind and STEREO-B. By carrying out a velocity-dispersion analysis on the particles arriving at each location, it was found that energetic particles arriving at STEREO-A were released first and that the release of particles arriving at STEREO-B was delayed by about 50 minutes. Analysis of the expansion of the CME to a wider longitude range indicates that this delay is a result of the time taken for the CME edge to reach the footpoints of the magnetic-field lines connected to STEREO-B. The CME expansion is not seen to reach the magnetic footpoint of Wind at the time of solar-particle release for the particles detected here, suggesting that these particles may not be associated with this CME.

A teardrop-shaped ionosphere at Venus in tenuous solar wind

A very tenuous solar wind regime, following a series of large coronal mass ejections, impacted Venus during early August, 2010. STEREO-B downstream from Venus observed that the solar wind density at Earth orbit dropped to ∼0.1#/cm3 and persisted at this value over 1 day. A similar low value was observed at Earth in 1999 and has attracted comprehensive attention (Lazarus, A.J., 2000. Solar physics: the day the solar wind almost disappeared. Science 287, 2172–2173.), especially its consequences on Earth's ionosphere and magnetosphere (Lockwood, M., 2001. Astronomy: the day the solar wind nearly died. Nature 409, 677–679.). We now have an opportunity to examine the response of Venus' ionosphere to such a tenuous solar wind. After Venus Express spacecraft entered the ionosphere near the terminator, it continuously sampled O+ dominated planetary plasma on the nightside till it left the optical shadow region when Venus Express was located at 2 RV (Venus' Radii) to the Venus center and 1.1 RV to the Sun–Venus line. Moreover, the O+ speed was lower than the gravitational escape speed. We interpret this low-speed O+ as a constituent of the extended nightside ionosphere as a consequence of long-duration (18h) tenuous solar wind, because the very low dynamic pressure enhances the source and reduces the sink of the nightside ionosphere. Though the full extent of the nightside ionosphere is not known due to the limitation of spacecraft's trajectory, our results suggest that the global configuration of Venus' ionosphere could resemble a teardrop-shaped cometary ionosphere.

Unusual Emissions at Various Energies Prior to the Impulsive Phase of the Large Solar Flare and Coronal Mass Ejection of 4 November 2003

The GOES X28 flare of 4 November 2003 was the largest ever recorded in its class. It produced the first evidence for two spectrally separated emission components, one at microwaves and the other in the THz range of frequencies. We analyzed the pre-flare phase of this large flare, twenty minutes before the onset of the major impulsive burst. This period is characterized by unusual activity in X-rays, sub-THz frequencies, Hα, and microwaves. The CME onset occurred before the onset of the large burst by about 6 min. It was preceded by pulsations of 3 – 5 s periods at sub-THz frequencies together with X-ray and microwave enhancements. The sub-THz pulsations faded out as impulsive bursts were detected at 100 – 300 keV and 7 GHz, close to the time of the first Hα brightening and the CME onset. The activities detected prior to and at the CME onset were located nearly 2 arcmin south of the following large flare, suggesting they were separate events. This unusual activity brings new clues to understanding the complex energy buildup mechanisms prior to the CME onset, occurring at a distinct location and well before the major flare that exploded afterwards.

Estimating Travel Times of Coronal Mass Ejections to 1 AU Using Multi-spacecraft Coronagraph Data

We study the relationship between the speeds of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) obtained close to the Sun and in the interplanetary medium during the low solar-activity period from 2008 to 2010. We use a multi-spacecraft forward-modeling technique to fit a flux-rope-like model to white-light coronagraph images from the STEREO and SOHO spacecraft to estimate the geometrical configuration, propagation in three-dimensions (3D), and the radial speeds of the observed CMEs. The 3D speeds obtained in this way are used in existing CME travel-time prediction models. The results are compared to the actual CME transit times from the Sun to STEREO, ACE, and Wind spacecraft as well as to the transit times calculated using projected CME speeds. CME 3D speeds give slightly better predictions than projected CME speeds, but a large scatter is observed between the predicted and observed travel times, even when 3D speeds are used. We estimate the possible sources of errors and find a weak tendency for large interplanetary CMEs (ICMEs) with high magnetic fields to arrive faster than predicted and small, low-magnetic-field ICMEs to arrive later than predicted. The observed CME transit times from the Sun to 1 AU show a particularly good correlation with the upstream solar-wind speed. Similar trends have not been observed in previous studies using data sets near solar maximum. We suggest that near solar minimum a relatively narrow range of CME initial speeds, sizes, and magnetic-field magnitudes led to a situation where aerodynamic drag between CMEs and ambient solar wind was the primary cause of variations in CME arrival times from the Sun to 1 AU.

Solar energetic electron probes of magnetic cloud field line lengths

[1] Magnetic clouds (MCs) are large interplanetary coronal mass ejections of enhanced and low-variance fields with rotations indicative of magnetic flux ropes originally connected to the Sun. The MC flux rope models require field lines with larger pitch angles and longer lengths with increasing distance from the MC axis. While the models can provide good fits to the in situ solar wind observations, there have not been definitive observational tests of the global magnetic field geometry, particularly for the field line lengths. However, impulsive solar energetic (E > 10 keV) electron events occasionally occur within an MC, and the electron onsets can be used to infer Le, the magnetic field line lengths traveled by the electrons from the Sun to the points in the MC where the electron onsets occur. We selected 8 MCs in and near which 30 solar electron events were observed by the 3DP instrument on the Wind spacecraft. We compared the corresponding Le values with calculated model field line lengths to test two MC models. Some limitations on the technique are imposed by variations of the models and uncertainly about MC boundary locations. We found generally poor correlations between the computed electron path lengths and the model field line lengths. Only one value of Le inside an MC, that of 18 October 1995, exceeded 3.2 AU, indicating an absence of the long path lengths expected in the highly wound outer regions of MC models. We briefly consider the implications for MC models.