Propagation of an Earth-directed coronal mass ejection in three dimensions

Abstract

Solar coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are the most significant drivers of adverse space weather at Earth, but the physics governing their propagation through the heliosphere is not well understood. While stereoscopic imaging of CMEs with the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) has provided some insight into their three-dimensional (3D) propagation, the mechanisms governing their evolution remain unclear due to difficulties in reconstructing their true 3D structure. Here we use a new elliptical tie-pointing technique to reconstruct a full CME front in 3D, enabling us to quantify its deflected trajectory from high latitudes along the ecliptic, and measure its increasing angular width and propagation from 2-46 solar radii (approximately 0.2 AU). Beyond 7 solar radii, we show that its motion is determined by an aerodynamic drag in the solar wind and, using our reconstruction as input for a 3D magnetohydrodynamic simulation, we determine an accurate arrival time at the Lagrangian L1 point near Earth.

5 figures, 2 supplementary movies

References in corpus (6)

• Torus instability
• Observations and modeling of the early acceleration phase of erupting filaments involved in coronal mass ejections
• The kinematics of coronal mass ejections using multiscale methods
• Stereoscopy basics for the STEREO mission
• Multiscale Edge Detection in the Corona
• Reconstructing the 3-D Trajectories of CMEs in the Inner Heliosphere

Cited by in corpus (12)

• Global Trends of CME Deflections Based on CME and Solar Parameters
• Automatic Detection and Tracking of CMEs II: Multiscale Filtering of Coronagraph Data
• Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging of Three-dimensional Magnetic Reconnection in a Solar Eruption
• Solar Wind Drag and the Kinematics of Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections
• Bridging EUV and white-light observations to inspect the initiation phase of a "two-stage" solar eruptive event
• Effect of Solar Wind Drag on the Determination of the Properties of Coronal Mass Ejections from Heliospheric Images
• Study of a Prominence Eruption using PROBA2/SWAP and STEREO/EUVI Data
• Constraining the Mass and the Non-Radial Drag Coefficient of a Solar Coronal Mass Ejection
• Using an Ellipsoid Model to Track and Predict the Evolution and Propagation of Coronal Mass Ejections
• The Kinematics and Morphology of Solar Coronal Mass Ejections
• Propagation of Coronal Mass Ejections in the Inner Heliosphere
• Investigating the Kinematics of Coronal Mass Ejections with the Automated CORIMP Catalog