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Initiation of coronal mass ejections in a global evolution model

Yeates, A.R.; Mackay, D.H.

Authors

D.H. Mackay



Abstract

Loss of equilibrium of magnetic flux ropes is a leading candidate for the origin of solar coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The aim of this paper is to explore to what extent this mechanism can account for the initiation of CMEs in the global context. A simplified MHD model for the global coronal magnetic field evolution in response to flux emergence and shearing by large-scale surface motions is described and motivated. Using automated algorithms for detecting flux ropes and ejections in the global magnetic model, the effects of key simulation parameters on the formation of flux ropes and the number of ejections are considered, over a 177 day period in 1999. These key parameters include the magnitude and sign of magnetic helicity emerging in active regions, and coronal diffusion. The number of flux ropes found in the simulation at any one time fluctuates between about 28 and 48, sustained by the emergence of new bipolar regions, but with no systematic dependence on the helicity of these regions. However, the emerging helicity does affect the rate of flux rope ejections, which doubles from 0.67 per day if the bipoles emerge untwisted to 1.28 per day in the run with greatest emerging twist. The number of ejections in the simulation is also increased by 20%-30% by choosing the majority sign of emerging bipole helicity in each hemisphere, or by halving the turbulent diffusivity in the corona. For reasonable parameter choices, the model produces approximately 50% of the observed CME rate. This indicates that the formation and loss of equilibrium of flux ropes may be a key element in explaining a significant fraction of observed CMEs.

Citation

Yeates, A., & Mackay, D. (2009). Initiation of coronal mass ejections in a global evolution model. Astrophysical Journal, 699(2), Article 1024-1037. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/699/2/1024

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date May 4, 2009
Publication Date Jul 1, 2009
Deposit Date Oct 14, 2011
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Astrophysical Journal
Print ISSN 0004-637X
Electronic ISSN 1538-4357
Publisher American Astronomical Society
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 699
Issue 2
Article Number 1024-1037
DOI https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/699/2/1024

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