An investigation of the large-scale magnetic field variations in the corona prior to and after CME eruptions

The magnetic field changes in the corona at the site of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) have been investigated using the potential field-source surface model. It is shown that a CME is accompanied by the opening of closed field lines that formed the streamer's helmet base prior to the onset of a coronal disturbance. Two to three days after the appearance of the CME, the field configuration at the location of the coronal ejection reverts approximately to the state pre-existing before the generation of the CME. The appearance of small transient open magnetic tubes has been found after eruption of the coronal mass. These magnetic tubes seem to be the analogs for transient coronal holes.Taking into account the results of calculations of the field changes in the neighbourhood of the CME occurrence site, we have suggested a possible mechanism governing the spatio-temporal correlation between some flares and CMEs. Also, a possible mechanism has been proposed for field reconfiguration in the corona, leading to loss of the equilibrium of the magnetic configuration and to the subsequent generation of a CME in the region of coronal streamer chains separating coronal holes with same-polarity magnetic field.     

Active-Region Filaments and X-ray Sigmoids

We use Yohkoh soft X-ray telescope data and H full-disk observations to study the evolution of chromospheric filaments and coronal sigmoids in 6 active regions in association with coronal mass ejections (CMEs). In two cases, CMEs are directly observed by the SOHO/LASCO C2 coronagraph. In four cases, other observations (magnetic clouds, geomagnetic storms, sigmoid-arcade evolution) are used as CME indicators. Prior to eruption, each active region shows a bright coronal sigmoidal loop and underlying H filament. The sigmoid activates, erupts and gets replaced by a cusp, or an arcade. In contrast, the H filament shows no significant changes in association with sigmoid eruption and CME. We explain these observations in a framework of the classical two-ribbon flare model.     

Magnetic source regions of coronal mass ejections

The majority of flare activity arises in active regions which contain sunspots, while Coronal Mass Ejection (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. The presence of significant magnetic stresses in the source region is a necessary condition for CME. In young active regions magnetic stresses are increased mainly by twisted magnetic flux emergence and the resulting magnetic footpoint motions. In old, decayed active regions twist can be redistributed through cancellation events. 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:

?the strength of the magnetic field, the amount of possible free energy storage,

?the small- and large-scale magnetic topology of the source region as well as its evolution (new flux emergence, photospheric motions, cancelling flux), and

?the mass loading of the configuration (effect of gravity). These examples are discussed in the framework of theoretical models.

     

AN INVESTIGATION OF SOLAR FACTORS GOVERNING CORONAL MASS EJECTION CHARACTERISTICS

This paper deals with the influence of the distance of the apparent axes of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from a neutral line (NL) on the source surface and of coronal hole (CH) boundaries upon apparent characteristics of CMEs: e.g., the structure, the velocity of individual features, and the width.(a) It is found that the chance of measuring a CME velocity of ascent appears to decrease with increasing distance from a neutral line or coronal hole.(b) The apparent velocity of a CME appears to depend on the distance of its core from a neutral line or coronal hole boundary. CME speeds for events within 15 deg of a surface neutral line are significantly higher than those apparently much farther from surface neutral lines.(c) CME spans tend to be wider when they are more closely associated with surface neutral lines. It is shown that the contribution of CMEs in the neighbourhood of the NL (the heliomagnetic latitude of the CME apparent axis L < 15 deg) decreases with increasing length of the chain of coronal streamers separating the CH of like polarity of the magnetic field and depends on the character of the relationship between CMEs and other forms of activity. The study revealed a concentration of the apparent axes of CMEs toward zero lines of the photospheric magnetic field from the J. M. Wilcox Solar Observatory at Stanford.     

Origins of Rolling, Twisting, and Non-radial Propagation of Eruptive Solar Events

We demonstrate that major asymmetries in erupting filaments and CMEs, namely major twists and non-radial motions are typically related to the larger-scale ambient environment around eruptive events. Our analysis of prominence eruptions observed by the STEREO, SDO, and SOHO spacecraft shows that prominence spines retain, during the initial phases, the thin ribbon-like topology they had prior to the eruption. This topology allows bending, rolling, and twisting during the early phase of the eruption, but not before. The combined ascent and initial bending of the filament ribbon is non-radial in the same general direction as for the enveloping CME. However, the non-radial motion of the filament is greater than that of the CME. In considering the global magnetic environment around CMEs, as approximated by the Potential Field Source Surface (PFSS) model, we find that the non-radial propagation of both erupting filaments and associated CMEs is correlated with the presence of nearby coronal holes, which deflect the erupting plasma and embedded fields. In addition, CME and filament motions, respectively, are guided towards weaker field regions, namely null points existing at different heights in the overlying configuration. Due to the presence of the coronal hole, the large-scale forces acting on the CME may be asymmetric. We find that the CME propagates usually non-radially in the direction of least resistance, which is always away from the coronal hole. We demonstrate these results using both low- and high-latitude examples.     

Determining the Intrinsic CME Flux Rope Type Using Remote-sensing Solar Disk Observations

A key aim in space weather research is to be able to use remote-sensing observations of the solar atmosphere to extend the lead time of predicting the geoeffectiveness of a coronal mass ejection (CME). In order to achieve this, the magnetic structure of the CME as it leaves the Sun must be known. In this article we address this issue by developing a method to determine the intrinsic flux rope type of a CME solely from solar disk observations. We use several well-known proxies for the magnetic helicity sign, the axis orientation, and the axial magnetic field direction to predict the magnetic structure of the interplanetary flux rope. We present two case studies: the 2 June 2011 and the 14 June 2012 CMEs. Both of these events erupted from an active region, and despite having clear in situ counterparts, their eruption characteristics were relatively complex. The first event was associated with an active region filament that erupted in two stages, while for the other event the eruption originated from a relatively high coronal altitude and the source region did not feature a filament. Our magnetic helicity sign proxies include the analysis of magnetic tongues, soft X-ray and/or extreme-ultraviolet sigmoids, coronal arcade skew, filament emission and absorption threads, and filament rotation. Since the inclination of the post-eruption arcades was not clear, we use the tilt of the polarity inversion line to determine the flux rope axis orientation and coronal dimmings to determine the flux rope footpoints, and therefore, the direction of the axial magnetic field. The comparison of the estimated intrinsic flux rope structure to in situ observations at the Lagrangian point L1 indicated a good agreement with the predictions. Our results highlight the flux rope type determination techniques that are particularly useful for active region eruptions, where most geoeffective CMEs originate.     

Coronal Magnetic Field Context of Simple CMEs Inferred from Global Potential Field Models

Most work on coronal mass ejection (CME) interpretation focuses on the involved active region rather than on the large-scale coronal context. In this paper a global potential-field source-surface model of the coronal magnetic field is used to evaluate the sensitivity of the coronal field configuration to the location, orientation, and strength of a bipolar active region relative to a background polar field distribution. The results suggest that the introduction of antiparallel components between the field of the active region and the background field can cause significant topological changes in the large-scale coronal magnetic field resembling observations during some simple CMEs. Antiparallel components can be introduced in the real corona by the diffusion and convection of photospheric fields, flux emergence, or erupted or shear-induced twist of active-region fields. Global MHD models with time-dependent boundary conditions could easily test the stability of such configurations and the nature of any related transients.     

CME-Flare Association Deduced from Catastrophic Model of CMEs

Based on our previous works regarding solar eruptions, we focus on the relationships among different eruptive phenomena, such as solar flares, eruptive prominences and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The three processes show clear correlations under certain circumstances. The correlation between a CME and solar flare depends the energy that stored in the relevant magnetic structure, which is available to drive the eruption: the more energy that is stored, the better the correlation is; otherwise, the correlation is poor. The correlation between a CME and eruptive prominence, on the other hand, depends on the plasma mass concentration in the configuration prior to the eruption: if the mass concentration is significant, a CME starts with an eruptive prominence, otherwise, a CME develops an without an apparent associated eruptive prominence. These results confirm that solar flares, eruptive prominences and CMEs are different significances of a single physical process that is related to the energy release in a disrupted coronal magnetic field. The impact of gravity on CME propagation and the above correlations is also investigated. Our calculations indicate that the effect of gravity is not significant unless the strength of the background field in the disrupted magnetic configuration becomes weak, say weaker than 30 G.     

Fitting and Reconstruction of Thirteen Simple Coronal Mass Ejections

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are the main drivers of geomagnetic disturbances, but the effects of their interaction with Earth’s magnetic field depend on their magnetic configuration and orientation. Fitting and reconstruction techniques have been developed to determine important geometrical and physical CME properties, such as the orientation of the CME axis, the CME size, and its magnetic flux. In many instances, there is disagreement between different methods but also between fitting from in situ measurements and reconstruction based on remote imaging. This could be due to the geometrical or physical assumptions of the models, but also to the fact that the magnetic field inside CMEs is only measured at one point in space as the CME passes over a spacecraft. In this article we compare three methods that are based on different assumptions for measurements by the Wind spacecraft for 13 CMEs from 1997 to 2015. These CMEs are selected from the interplanetary coronal mass ejections catalog on https://wind.nasa.gov/ICMEindex.php because of their simplicity in terms of: 1) slow expansion speed throughout the CME and 2) weak asymmetry in the magnetic field profile. This makes these 13 events ideal candidates for comparing codes that do not include expansion or distortion. We find that for these simple events, the codes are in relatively good agreement in terms of the CME axis orientation for six of the 13 events. Using the Grad–Shafranov technique, we can determine the shape of the cross-section, which is assumed to be circular for the other two models, a force-free fitting and a circular–cylindrical non force-free fitting. Five of the events are found to have a clear circular cross-section, even when this is not a precondition of the reconstruction. We make an initial attempt at evaluating the adequacy of the different assumptions for these simple CMEs. The conclusion of this work strongly suggests that attempts at reconciling in situ and remote-sensing views of CMEs must take into consideration the compatibility of the different models with specific CME structures to better reproduce flux ropes.     

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.     

INFERENCES ON CORONAL MAGNETIC FIELDS FROM SOHO UVCS OBSERVATIONS

The characteristics of the magnetic field ubiquitously permeating the coronal plasma are still largely unknown. In this paper we analyze some aspects of coronal physics, related to the magnetic field behavior, which forthcoming SOHO UVCS observations can help better understand. To this end, three coronal structures will be examined: streamers, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and coronal holes.As to streamers and CMEs, we show, via simulations of the Ly- and white-light emission from these objects, calculated on the basis of recent theoretical models (Wang et al., 1995), how new data from SOHO can help in advancing our knowledge of the streamer/CME magnetic configuration. Our discussion highlights also those observational signatures which might offer clues on reconnection processes in streamers' current sheets.Coronal holes (CHs) are discussed in the last section of the paper. Little is known about CH flux tube geometry, which is closely related to the behavior of the solar wind at small heliocentric distances.Indirect evidence for the flux tube spreading factors, within a few solar radii, is here examined.     

Numerical simulations of fast and slow coronal mass ejections

Solar coronal mass ejections (CMEs) show a large variety in their kinematic properties. CMEs originating in active regions and accompanied by strong flares are usually faster and accelerated more impulsively than CMEs associated with filament eruptions outside active regions and weak flares. It has been proposed more than two decades ago that there are two separate types of CMEs, fast (impulsive) CMEs and slow (gradual) CMEs. However, this concept may not be valid, since the large data sets acquired in recent years do not show two distinct peaks in the CME velocity distribution and reveal that both fast and slow CMEs can be accompanied by both weak and strong flares. We present numerical simulations which confirm our earlier analytical result that a flux‐rope CME model permits describing fast and slow CMEs in a unified manner. We consider a force‐free coronal magnetic flux rope embedded in the potential field of model bipolar and quadrupolar active regions. The eruption is driven by the torus instability which occurs if the field overlying the flux rope decreases sufficiently rapidly with height. The acceleration profile depends on the steepness of this field decrease, corresponding to fast CMEs for rapid decrease, as is typical of active regions, and to slow CMEs for gentle decrease, as is typical of the quiet Sun. Complex (quadrupolar) active regions lead to the fastest CMEs. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

晕状日冕物质抛射

主要介绍晕状日冕物质抛射（halo CMEs)的产生机制，包括向量磁场演化是怎样触发halo CMEa的：halo CME与耀斑，暗条活动的相互关系怎样，是否有规律可循，暗条爆发，耀斑等活动现象是如何相互联系的，halo CME事件是由一个活动区域或一个活动事件驱动物，还是多个活动区或多个活动事件相互作用的结果，给出两个halo CME的日面起源的观测例证，提出相反极笥的磁场对消是CME日面源区磁场演化的主要特征。     

The Influence of Coronal Background Structure with Nested and Closed Magnetic Fields on the Triggering of CME

The influence of coronal streamer background with nested and closed magnetic fields on the of the triggering of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) is investigated in the meridian plane. In the coronal streamers’ background magnetic structure there are three small-scale closed magnetic fields, of which the middle one has a direction opposite to that of the global dipolar field of coronal streamers. The trigger model of CMEs emerges from beneath this small-scale closed magnetic field and possesses a concentric circular structure with radius of a = 0.1R_s (R_s being the solar radius). The direction of the magnetic field in the front half of the CME trigger model is opposite to that of the small-scale closed field and is the same as that of the streamers’ global dipolar field. As revealed by numerical simulation, when the ratio of the plasma pressure at the center of the CME trigger model to the boundary pressure is m ≤ 2, then the emerging model can trigger CMEs. When m < 2, then it cannot. The error in this critical value of 2 is less than 1%.     

Different Types of Coronal Mass Ejections At Minimum and Maximum of Solar Activity and Their Relation to Magnetic Field Evolution

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are considered to be associated with large-scale, closed magnetic field structures in the corona. These structures change throughout the solar activity cycle following the evolution of the general solar magnetic field. To study the variation of CME characteristics with the evolution of coronal magnetic structures, we compute the 3-D coronal magnetic field at minimum and maximum of activity with a source-surface potential field model. In particular, we study the central latitude distribution of CMEs and the frequency of occurrence of the different CME types in these two periods. We find that most CMEs are indeed associated with large-scale, magnetically closed structures, and their latitudinal distribution follows the solar cycle latitudinal changes of the location of these structures. We also find that different CME types, which constitute different fractions of the total during the maximum and the minimum, are associated with different shapes and orientations of the closed structures at different times of the solar cycle.     

Disconnection of coronal field lines due to the emergence of new photospheric flux as the cause of CMEs and interplanetary shocks

A scenario is presented whereby CMEs and interplanetary shocks are consequences of a large scale rearrangement of the coronal magnetic field induced by the disconnection of field lines from the solar surface due to the emergence of flux with opposite polarity. In this scenario the CME is the mass released from the previously closed structure and the interplanetary shock is formed by the injection of faster solar wind from an extended or newly created coronal hole which results from the opening of the field lines. Here CMEs and interplanetary shocks are associated events, but not cause-effect related. Observational and computational evidence supporting this view is provided.     

LASCO White-Light Observations of Eruptive Current Sheets Trailing CMEs

Many models of eruptive flares or coronal mass ejections (CMEs) involve formation of a current sheet connecting the ejecting CME flux rope with a magnetic loop arcade. However, there is very limited observational information on the properties and evolution of these structures, hindering progress in understanding eruptive activity from the Sun. In white-light images, narrow coaxial rays trailing the outward-moving CME have been interpreted as current sheets. Here, we undertake the most comprehensive statistical study of CME-rays to date. We use SOHO/LASCO data, which have a higher cadence, larger field of view, and better sensitivity than any previous coronagraph. We compare our results to a previous study of Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) CMEs, in 1984?–?1989, having candidate magnetic disconnection features at the CME base, about half of which were followed by coaxial bright rays. We examine all LASCO CMEs during two periods of minimum and maximum activity in Solar Cycle 23, resulting in many more events, \(\sim130\) CME-rays, than during SMM. Important results include: The occurrence rate of the rays is \(\sim11~\%\) of all CMEs during solar minimum, but decreases to \(\sim7~\%\) at solar maximum; this is most likely related to the more complex coronal background. The rays appear on average 3?–?4 hours after the CME core, and are typically visible for three-fourths of a day. The mean observed current sheet length over the ray lifetime is \(\sim12~R_{\odot}\), with the longest current sheet of \(18.5~R_{\odot}\). The mean CS growth rates are \(188~\mbox{km}\,\mathrm{s}^{-1}\) at minimum and \(324~\mbox{km}\,\mathrm{s}^{-1}\) at maximum. Outward-moving blobs within several rays, which are indicative of reconnection outflows, have average velocities of \(\sim350~\mbox{km}\,\mathrm{s}^{-1}\) with small positive accelerations. A pre-existing streamer is blown out in most of the CME-ray events, but half of these are observed to reform within \(\sim1\) day. The long lifetime and long lengths of the CME-rays challenge our current understanding of the evolution of the magnetic field in the aftermath of CMEs.     

Numerical Magnetohydrodynamic Experiments for Testing the Physical Mechanisms of Coronal Mass Ejections Acceleration

Analysis of observations from both space-borne (LASCO/SOHO, Skylab and Solar Maximum Mission) and ground-based (Mauna Loa Observatory) instruments show that there are two types of coronal mass ejections (CMEs), fast CMEs and slow CMEs. Fast CMEs start with a high initial speed, which remains more or less constant, while slow CMEs start with a low initial speed, but show a gradual acceleration. To explain the difference between the two types of CMEs, Low and Zhang (2002) proposed that it resulted from a difference in the initial topology of the magnetic fields associated with the underlying quiescent prominences, i.e., a normal prominence configuration will lead to a fast CME, while an inverse quiescent prominence results in a slow CME. In this paper we explore a different scenario to explain the existence of fast and slow CMEs. Postulating only an inverse topology for the quiescent prominences, we show that fast and slow CMEs result from different physical processes responsible for the destabilization of the coronal magnetic field and for the initiation and launching of the CME. We use a 2.5-D, time-dependent streamer and flux-rope magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model (Wu and Guo, 1997) and investigate three initiation processes, viz. (1) injecting of magnetic flux into the flux-rope, thereby causing an additional Lorentz force that will destabilize the streamer and launch a CME (Wu et al., 1997, 1999); (2) draining of plasma from the flux-rope and triggering a magnetic buoyancy force that causes the flux-rope to lift and launch a CME; and (3) introducing additional heating into the flux-rope, thereby simulating an active-region flux-rope accompanied by a flare to launch a CME. We present 12 numerical tests using these three driving mechanisms either alone or in various combinations. The results show that both fast and slow CMEs can be obtained from an inverse prominence configuration subjected to one or more of these three different initiation processes.     

The Asymmetrical Eruption of a Quiescent Filament and Associated Halo CME

We will present detailed observations of the asymmetrical eruption of a large quiescent filament on 24 November 2002, which was followed by a two-ribbon flare, three coronal dimmings, endpoint brightenings, and a very fast halo-type coronal mass ejection (CME). Before the eruption, the filament lay along the main neutral line (MNL) underneath a single-arcade helmet streamer with a simple bipolar configuration. However, photospheric magnetic fields on both sides of the filament showed an asymmetrical distribution, and the filament and MNL were not located just at the center of the streamer base but were closer to the eastern leg of the streamer arcade. Therefore, instead of erupting along the streamer’s symmetrical axis, the filament showed a nonradial and asymmetrical eruption. It lifted from the eastern flank of the streamer arcade to impact the western leg directly, leading to an asymmetrical CME that expanded westward; eventually the streamer was disrupted significantly. Accordingly, the opposite-polarity coronal dimmings at both sides of the filament forming in the eruption also showed an asymmetrical area distribution. We thus assume that the streamer arcade could guide the filament at the early eruption phase but failed to restrain it later. Consistent with previous results, these observations suggest that the global background magnetic field can impose additional action on the initial eruption of the filament and CME, as well as the dimming configuration.     

Initiation of cmes by magnetic flux emergence

The initiation of solar Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) is studied in the framework of numerical magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). The initial CME model includes a magnetic flux rope in spherical, axi-symmetric geometry. The initial configuration consists of a magnetic flux rope embedded in a gravitationally stratified solar atmosphere with a background dipole magnetic field. The flux rope is in equilibrium due to an image current below the photosphere. An emerging flux triggering mechanism is used to make this equilibrium system unstable. When the magnetic flux emerges within the filament below the flux rope, this results in a catastrophic behavior similar to previous models. As a result, the flux rope rises and a current sheet forms below it. It is shown that the magnetic reconnection in the current sheet below the flux rope in combination with the outward curvature forces results in a fast ejection of the flux rope as observed for solar CMEs. We have done a parametric study of the emerging flux rate.