Observational evidence of a coronal mass ejection distortion directly attributable to a structured solar wind

Savani, N., Owens, M. J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2061-2453, Rouillard, A.P., Forsyth, R.J. and Davis, J.A. (2010) Observational evidence of a coronal mass ejection distortion directly attributable to a structured solar wind. The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 714 (1). pp. 128-132. ISSN 0004-637X doi: 10.1088/2041-8205/714/1/L128

Abstract/Summary

We present the first observational evidence of the near-Sun distortion of the leading edge of a coronal mass ejection (CME) by the ambient solar wind into a concave structure. On 2007 November 14, a CME was observed by coronagraphs onboard the STEREO-B spacecraft, possessing a circular cross section. Subsequently the CME passed through the field of view of the STEREO-B Heliospheric Imagers where the leading edge was observed to distort into an increasingly concave structure. The CME observations are compared to an analytical flux rope model constrained by a magnetohydrodynamic solar wind solution. The resultant bimodal speed profile is used to kinematically distort a circular structure that replicates the initial shape of the CME. The CME morphology is found to change rapidly over a relatively short distance. This indicates an approximate radial distance in the heliosphere where the solar wind forces begin to dominate over the magnetic forces of the CME influencing the shape of the CME.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/5801
Item Type	Article
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Science > School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences > Department of Meteorology
Uncontrolled Keywords	solar wind; Sun: coronal mass ejections (CMEs)
Publisher	American Astronomical Society
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