Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Jun 2009
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009apj...697.1918l&link_type=abstract
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 697, Issue 2, pp. 1918-1927 (2009).
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
23
Sun: Corona, Sun: Coronal Mass Ejections: Cmes, Sun: Magnetic Fields
Scientific paper
Understanding the connection between coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and their interplanetary counterparts (ICMEs) is one of the most important problems in solar-terrestrial physics. We calculate the rotation of erupting field structures predicted by numerical simulations of CME initiation via the magnetic breakout model. In this model, the initial potential magnetic field has a multipolar topology and the system is driven by imposing a shear flow at the photospheric boundary. Our results yield insight on how to connect solar observations of the orientation of the filament or polarity inversion line (PIL) in the CME source region, the orientation of the CME axis as inferred from coronagraph images, and the ICME flux rope orientation obtained from in situ measurements. We present the results of two numerical simulations that differ only in the direction of the applied shearing motions (i.e., the handedness of the sheared-arcade systems and their resulting CME fields). In both simulations, eruptive flare reconnection occurs underneath the rapidly expanding sheared fields transforming the ejecta fields into three-dimensional flux rope structures. As the erupting flux ropes propagate through the low corona (from 2 to 4 R sun) the right-handed breakout flux rope rotates clockwise and the left-handed breakout flux rope rotates counterclockwise, in agreement with recent observations of the rotation of erupting filaments. We find that by 3.5 R sun the average rotation angle between the flux rope axes and the active region PIL is approximately 50°. We discuss the implications of these results for predicting, from the observed chirality of the pre-eruption filament and/or other properties of the CME source region, the direction and amount of rotation that magnetic flux rope structures will experience during eruption. We also discuss the implications of our results for CME initiation models.
Antiochos Spiro K.
DeVore Richard C.
Li Yadong
Luhmann Janet G.
Lynch Benjamin J.
No associations
LandOfFree
Rotation of Coronal Mass Ejections during Eruption does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Rotation of Coronal Mass Ejections during Eruption, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Rotation of Coronal Mass Ejections during Eruption will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-776288