We report the results of the first state-of-the-art numerical simulations of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) taking place in realistic magnetic field configurations of moderately active M-dwarf stars. Our analysis indicates that a clear, novel, and observable, coronal response is generated due to the collapse of the eruption and its eventual release into the stellar wind. Escaping CME events, weakly suppressed by the large-scale field, induce a flare-like signature in the emission from coronal material at different temperatures due to compression and associated heating. Such flare-like profiles display a distinctive temporal evolution in their Doppler shift signal (from red to blue), as the eruption first collapses towards the star and then perturbs the ambient magnetized plasma on its way outwards. For stellar fields providing partial confinement, CME fragmentation takes place, leading to rise and fall flow patterns which resemble the solar coronal rain cycle. In strongly suppressed events, the response is better described as a gradual brightening, in which the failed CME is deposited in the form of a coronal rain cloud leading to a much slower rise in the ambient high-energy flux by relatively small factors ($\sim2-3$). In all the considered cases (escaping/confined) a fractional decrease in the emission from mid-range coronal temperature plasma occurs, similar to the coronal dimming events observed on the Sun. Detection of the observational signatures of these CME-induced features requires a sensitive next generation X-ray space telescope.
The understanding of the causes that produce the deflection of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) is essential for the space weather forecast. In this article, we study the effects on CMEs trajectories produced by the different properties of a coronal hole close to the ejection area. For this analysis, we perform numerical simulations of the ideal magnetohydrodynamics equations that emulate the early rising of the CME in presence of a coronal hole. We find that, the stronger the magnetic field and the wider the coronal hole area, the larger the CME deflection. This effect is reduced when the corona…
We present a statistical study of 62 coronal dimming events associated with Earth-directed CMEs during the quasi-quadrature period of STEREO and SDO. This unique setting allows us to study both phenomena in great detail and compare characteristic quantities statistically. Coronal dimmings are observed on-disk by SDO/AIA and HMI, while the CME kinematics during the impulsive acceleration phase is studied close to the limb with STEREO/EUVI and COR, minimizing projection effects. The dimming area, its total unsigned magnetic flux and its total brightness, reflecting properties of the total dimmin…
We present several models of the magnetic structure of solar coronal mass ejections (CMEs). First, we model CMEs as expanding force-free magnetic structures. While keeping the internal magnetic field structure of the stationary solutions, expansion leads to complicated internal velocities and rotation, while the field structures remain force-free. Second, expansion of a CME can drive resistive dissipation within the CME changing the ionization states of different ions. We fit in situ measurements of ion charge states to the resistive spheromak solutions. Finally, we consider magnetic field str…
Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are huge expulsions of magnetized matter from the Sun and stars, traversing space with speeds of millions of kilometers per hour. Solar CMEs can cause severe space weather disturbances and consumer power outages on Earth, whereas stellar CMEs may even pose a hazard to the habitability of exoplanets. While CMEs ejected by our Sun can be directly imaged by white-light coronagraphs, for stars this is not possible. So far, only a few candidates for stellar CME detections are reported. Here we demonstrate a different approach, based on sudden dimmings in the extreme-ul…
We use STEREO imagery to study the morphology of a shock driven by a fast coronal mass ejection (CME) launched from the Sun on 2011 March 7. The source region of the CME is located just to the east of a coronal hole. The CME ejecta is deflected away from the hole, in contrast with the shock, which readily expands into the fast outflow from the coronal hole. The result is a CME with ejecta not well centered within the shock surrounding it. The shock shape inferred from the imaging is compared with in situ data at 1 AU, where the shock is observed near Earth by the Wind spacecraft, and at STEREO…
We analyze five events of the interaction of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) with the remote coronal rays located up to 90^\circ away from the CME as observed by the SOHO/LASCO C2 coronagraph. Using sequences of SOHO/LASCO C2 images, we estimate the kink propagation in the coronal rays during their interaction with the corresponding CMEs ranging from 180 to 920 km/s within the interval of radial distances form 3 R. to 6 R. . We conclude that all studied events do not correspond to the expected pattern of shock wave propagation in the corona. Coronal ray deflection can be interpreted as the influ…
The issue of the influence of coronal holes (CHs) on coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in causing solar energetic particle (SEP) events is revisited. It is a continuation and extension of our previous work (Shen et al., 2006), in which no evident effect of CHs on CMEs in generating SEPs were found by statistically investigating 56 CME events. This result is consistent with the conclusion obtained by Kahler in 2004. In this paper, we extrapolate the coronal magnetic field, define CHs as the regions consisting of only open magnetic field lines and perform a similar analysis on this issue for totally…
Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are often accompanied by coronal dimming evident in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and soft X-ray observations. The locations of dimming are sometimes considered to map footpoints of the erupting flux rope. As the emitting material expands in the corona, the decreased plasma density leads to reduced emission observed in spectral and irradiance measurements. Therefore, signatures of dimming may reflect properties of CMEs in the early phase of its eruption. In this study, we analyze the event of flare, CME, and coronal dimming on December 26, 2011. We use the data from t…
The coronal blowout jet is a peculiar category among various jet phenomena, of which the sheared base arch, often carrying a small filament, experiences a miniature version of blowout eruption that produces large-scale coronal mass ejection (CME). In this paper, we report such a coronal blowout jet with high-resolution multi-wavelength and multi-angle observations taken from Solar Dynamics Observatory, Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory, and Big Bear Solar Observatory. For the first time, we find that a simultaneous bubble-like and a jet-like CMEs were dynamically related to the blowout j…
Solar coronal dimmings have been observed extensively in the past two decades. Due to their close association with coronal mass ejections (CMEs), there is a critical need to improve our understanding of the physical processes that cause dimmings as well as their relationship with CMEs. In this study, we investigate coronal dimmings by combining simulation and observational efforts. By utilizing a data-constrained global magnetohydrodynamics model (AWSoM: Alfven-wave Solar Model), we simulate coronal dimmings resulting from different CME energetics and flux rope configurations. We synthesize th…
Solar coronal jets have been observed in detail since the early 1990s. While it is clear that these jets are magnetically driven, the details of the driving process has recently been updated. Previously it was suspected that the jets were a consequence of magnetic flux emergence interacting with ambient coronal field. New evidence however indicates that often the direct driver of the jets is erupting field, often carrying cool material (a "minifilament"), that undergoes interchange magnetic reconnection with preexisting field ([1]). More recent work indicates that the trigger for eruption of t…
We use high time cadence images acquired by the STEREO EUVI and COR instruments to study the evolution of coronal mass ejections (CMEs), from their initiation, through the impulsive acceleration to the propagation phase. For a set of 95 CMEs we derived detailed height, velocity and acceleration profiles and statistically analysed characteristic CME parameters: peak acceleration, peak velocity, acceleration duration, initiation height, height at peak velocity, height at peak acceleration and size of the CME source region. The CME peak accelerations derived range from 20 to 6800 m s^2 and are in…
We study the role of the coronal magnetic field configuration of an active region in determining the propagation direction of a coronal mass ejection (CME). The CME occurred in the active region 11944 (S09W01) near the disk center on 2014 January 7 and was associated with an X1.2 flare. A new CME reconstruction procedure based on a polarimetric technique is adopted, which shows that the CME changed its propagation direction by around 28$^\circ$ in latitude within 2.5 R$_\odot$ and 43$^\circ$ in longitude within 6.5 R$_\odot$ with respect to the CME source region. This significant non-radial mo…
On 13 February 2009, a coronal wave -- CME -- dimming event was observed in quadrature by the STEREO spacecraft. We analyze this event using a three-dimensional, global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model for the solar corona. The numerical simulation is driven and constrained by the observations, and indicates where magnetic reconnection occurs between the expanding CME core and surrounding environment. We focus primarily on the lower corona, extending out to $3R_{\odot}$; this range allows simultaneous comparison with both EUVI and COR1 data. Our simulation produces a diffuse coronal bright fron…
Solar coronal dimmings have been observed extensively in the past two decades and are believed to have close association with coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Recent study found that coronal dimming is the only signature that could differentiate powerful ares that have CMEs from those that do not. Therefore, dimming might be one of the best candidates to observe the stellar CMEs on distant Sun-like stars. In this study, we investigate the possibility of using coronal dimming as a proxy to diagnose stellar CMEs. By simulating a realistic solar CME event and corresponding coronal dimming using a g…
Solar Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are sometimes deflected during their propagation. This deflection may be the consequence of interaction between a CME and a coronal hole or the solar wind. We analyze 44 halo-CMEs whose deflection angle exceeds 90 degrees. The coronal magnetic field configuration is computed from daily synoptic maps of magnetic field from SOHO/MDI and SDO/HMI using a Potential Field Source Surface (PFSS) model. By comparing the ambient magnetic field configuration and the measured position angles (MPA) of the CMEs, we conclude that the deflection of 80% of the CMEs (35 of 44…
We study a sample of complex events; each includes a coronal type II burst, accompanied by a GOES SXR flare and LASCO CME. The radio bursts were recorded by the ARTEMIS-IV radio spectrograph (100-650 MHz range); the GOES SXR flares and SOHO/LASCO CMEs, were obtained from the Solar Geophysical Data (SGD) and the LASCO lists respectively. The radio burst-flare-CME characteristics were compared and two groups of events with similar behavior were isolated. In the first the type II shock exciter appears to be a flare blast wave propagating in the wake of a CME. In the second the type II burst appea…
Context. Observations reveal that shocks can be driven by fast coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and play essential roles in particle accelerations. A critical ratio, $δ$, derived from a shock standoff distance normalized by the radius of curvature (ROC) of a CME, allows us to estimate shock and ambient coronal parameters. However, true ROCs of CMEs are difficult to measure due to observed projection effects. Aims. We investigate the formation mechanism of a shock driven by an aspherical CME without evident lateral expansion. Through three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions without a priori assumpti…
We report the first results of a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation of the development of a homologous sequence of three coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and demonstrate their so-called cannibalistic behavior. These CMEs originate from the repeated formations and partial eruptions of kink unstable flux ropes as a result of continued emergence of a twisted flux rope across the lower boundary into a pre-existing coronal potential arcade field. The simulation shows that a CME erupting into the open magnetic field created by a preceding CME has a higher speed. The second of the three successive CME…
By 2050, we expect that CME models will accurately describe, and ideally predict, observed solar eruptions and the propagation of the CMEs through the corona. We describe some of the present known unknowns in observations and models that would need to be addressed in order to reach this goal. We also describe how we might prepare for some of the unknown unknowns that will surely become challenges.
Earlier studies on Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), using remote sensing and in situ observations, have attempted to determine some of the internal properties of CMEs, which were limited to a certain position or a certain time. For understanding the evolution of the internal thermodynamic state of CMEs during their heliospheric propagation, we improve the self-similar flux rope internal state (FRIS) model, which is constrained by measured propagation and expansion speed profiles of a CME. We implement the model to a CME erupted on 2008 December 12 and probe the internal state of the CME. It is f…
We study the interaction of two successive coronal mass ejections (CMEs) during the 2010 August 1 events using STEREO/SECCHI COR and HI data. We obtain the direction of motion for both CMEs by applying several independent reconstruction methods and find that the CMEs head in similar directions. This provides evidence that a full interaction takes place between the two CMEs that can be observed in the HI1 field-of-view. The full de-projected kinematics of the faster CME from Sun to Earth is derived by combining remote observations with in situ measurements of the CME at 1 AU. The speed profile …
We study the geoeffectiveness of a sample of complex events; each includes a coronal type II burst, accompanied by a GOES SXR flare and LASCO CME. The radio bursts were recorded by the ARTEMIS-IV radio spectrograph, in the 100-650 MHz range; the GOES SXR flares and SOHO/LASCO CMEs, were obtained from the Solar Geophysical Data (SGD) and the LASCO catalogue respectively. These are compared with changes of solar wind parameters and geomagnetic indices in order to establish a relationship between solar energetic events and their effects on geomagnetic activity.
More and more evidence indicates that "EIT waves" are strongly related to coronal mass ejections (CMEs). However, it is still not clear how the two phenomena are related to each other. We investigate a CME event on 1997 September 9, which was well observed by both EUV imaging telescope (EIT) and the high-cadence MK3 coronagraph at Mauna Loa Solar Observatory, and compare the spatial relation between the "EIT wave" fronts and the CME leading loops. It is found that "EIT wave" fronts are co-spatial with the CME leading loops, and the expanding EUV dimmings are co-spatial with the CME cavity. It …
We report observations of homologous coronal jets and their coronal mass ejections (CMEs) observed by instruments onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft. The homologous jets originated from a location with emerging and canceling magnetic field at the southeast edge of the giant active region (AR) of 2014 October, NOAA 12192. This AR produced in its interior many non-jet major flare eruptions (X and M class) that made no CME. During 20-27 October, in contrast to the major-flare eruptions in the interior, six of the homologous jets f…
We study the kinematical characteristics and 3D geometry of a large-scale coronal wave that occurred in association with the 26 April 2008 flare-CME event. The wave was observed with the EUVI instruments aboard both STEREO spacecraft (STEREO-A and STEREO-B) with a mean speed of ~240 km/s. The wave is more pronounced in the eastern propagation direction, and is thus, better observable in STEREO-B images. From STEREO-B observations we derive two separate initiation centers for the wave, and their locations fit with the coronal dimming regions. Assuming a simple geometry of the wave we reconstruc…
Solar energetic particles acceleration by a shock wave accompanying a coronal mass ejection (CME) is studied. The description of the accelerated particle spectrum evolution is based on the numerical calculation of the diffusive transport equation with a set of realistic parameters. The relation between the CME and the shock speeds, which depend on the initial CME radius, is determined. Depending on the initial CME radius, its speed, and the magnetic energy of the scattering Alfven waves, the accelerated particle spectrum is established during 10-60 minutes from the beginning of CME motion. The…
We present results from 3D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of the emergence of a twisted convection zone flux tube into a pre-existing coronal dipole field. As in previous simulations, following the partial emergence of the sub-surface flux into the corona, a combination of vortical motions and internal magnetic reconnection forms a coronal flux rope. Then, in the simulations presented here, external reconnection between the emerging field and the pre-existing dipole coronal field allows further expansion of the coronal flux rope into the corona. After sufficient expansion, internal reco…
Jets are defined as impulsive, well-collimated upflows, occurring in different layers of the solar atmosphere with different scales. Their relationship with coronal mass ejections (CMEs), another type of solar impulsive events, remains elusive. Using the high-quality imaging data of AIA/SDO, here we show a well-observed coronal jet event, in which part of the jets, with the embedding coronal loops, runs into a nearby coronal hole (CH) and gets bounced towards the opposite direction. This is evidenced by the flat-shape of the jet front during its interaction with the CH and the V-shaped feature…
We report observations of thermal emission from the frontal structure of a coronal mass ejection (CME) using data obtained with the Gauribidanur RAdioheliograPH (GRAPH) simultaneously at 80 MHz and 53 MHz on 2016 May 1. The CME was due to activity on the far-side of the Sun, but near its limb. No non-thermal radio burst activity were noticed. This provided an opportunity to observe the faint thermal radio emission from the CME, and hence directly estimate the electron density, mass, and magnetic field strength of the plasma entrained in the CME. Considering that CMEs are mostly observed only i…
We report observations of a two-stage coronal dimming in an eruptive event of a two-ribbon flare and a fast coronal mass ejection (CME). Weak gradual dimming persists for more than half an hour before the onset of the two-ribbon flare and the fast rise of the CME. It is followed by abrupt rapid dimming. The two-stage dimming occurs in a pair of conjugate dimming regions adjacent to the two flare ribbons, and the flare onset marks the transition between the two stages of dimming. At the onset of the two-ribbon flare, transient brightenings are also observed inside the dimming regions, before ra…
We compare estimates of the speed and width of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in several catalogs for the CMEs associated with ~200 solar energetic particle (SEP) events in 2006-2013 that included 25 MeV protons. The catalogs used are: CDAW, CACTUS, SEEDS and CORIMP, all derived from observations by the LASCO coronagraphs on the SOHO spacecraft, the CACTUS catalog derived from the COR2 coronagraphs on the STEREO-A and -B spacecraft, and the DONKI catalog, which uses observations from SOHO and the STEREO spacecraft. We illustrate how, for this set of events, CME parameters can differ considerabl…
On 17 January 2010, STEREO-B observed in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and white light a large-scale dome-shaped expanding coronal transient with perfectly connected off-limb and on-disk signatures. Veronig et al. (2010, ApJL 716, 57) concluded that the dome was formed by a weak shock wave. We have revealed two EUV components, one of which corresponded to this transient. All of its properties found from EUV, white light, and a metric type II burst match expectations for a freely expanding coronal shock wave including correspondence to the fast-mode speed distribution, while the transient sweeping …
Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) erupt and expand in a magnetically structured solar corona. Various indirect observational pieces of evidence have shown that the magnetic field of CMEs reconnects with surrounding magnetic fields, forming, e.g., dimming regions distant from the CME source regions. Analyzing Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) observations of the eruption from AR 11226 on 2011 June 7, we present the first direct evidence of coronal magnetic reconnection between the fields of two adjacent ARs during a CME. The observations are presented jointly with a data-constrained numerical simula…
Numerical simulations suggest that kink and torus instabilities are two potential contributors to the initiation and prorogation of eruptive events. A magnetic parameter named decay index (i.e., the coronal magnetic gradient of the overlying fields above the eruptive flux ropes) could play an important role in controlling kinematics of eruptions. Previous studies have identified a threshold range of the decay index that distinguishes between eruptive and confined configurations. Here we advance the study by investigating if there is a clear correlation between the decay index and CME speed. 38…
We carried out white-light observations of the total solar eclipse on 13 November 2012 at two sites, where the totality occurred 35 minutes apart. We caught an ongoing coronal mass ejection (CME) and a pre-CME loop structure just before the eruption in the height range between 1-2 R_sun. The source region of CMEs was revealed to be in this height range, where the material and the magnetic field of CMEs were located before the eruption. This height range includes the gap between the extreme ultraviolet observations of the low corona and the spaceborne white-light observations of the high corona…
We study the clustering properties of fast Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) that occurred during solar cycles 23 and 24. We apply two methods: the Max spectrum method can detect the predominant clusters and the de-clustering threshold time method provides details on the typical clustering properties and time scales. Our analysis shows that during the different phases of solar cycles 23 and 24, CMEs with speed $\geq 1000\ km/s$ preferentially occur as isolated events and in clusters with on average two members. However, clusters with more members appear particularly during the maximum phases of th…
We report on the energetics of the 2012 March 12 polar coronal mass ejection (CME) originating from a southern latitude of ~60o. The polar CME is similar to low-latitude CMEs in almost all respects: three-part morphology, post eruption arcade (PEA), CME and filament kinematics, CME mass and kinetic energy, and the relative thermal energy content of the PEA. From polarized brightness images, we estimate the CME mass, which is close to the average mass of low-latitude CMEs. The CME kinetic energy (3.3x1030 erg) is also typical of the general population of CMEs. From photospheric magnetograms, we…
How to properly understand coronal mass ejections (CMEs) viewed in white-light coronagraphs is crucial to many relative researches in solar and space physics. The issue is now particularly addressed in this paper through studying the source locations of all the 1078 LASCO CMEs listed in CDAW CME catalog during 1997 -- 1998 and their correlation with CMEs' apparent parameters. By manually checking LASCO and EIT movies of these CMEs, we find that, except 231 CMEs whose source locations can not be identified due to poor data, there are 288 CMEs with location identified on the front-side solar dis…
Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are large-scale ejections of plasma and magnetic field from the solar corona, which propagate through interplanetary space at velocities of $\sim$100--2500~km~s$^{-1}$. Although plane-of-sky coronagraph measurements have provided some insight into their kinematics near the Sun ($<$32~R$_\odot$), it is still unclear what forces govern their evolution during both their early acceleration and later propagation. Here, we use the dual perspectives of the Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) spacecrafts to derive the three-dimensional kinematics of CMEs over…
Measuring the physical parameters of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), particularly their entrained magnetic field, is crucial for understanding their physics and for assessing their geo-effectiveness. At the moment, only remote sensing techniques can probe these quantities in the corona, the region where CMEs form and acquire their defining characteristics. Radio observations offer the most direct means for estimating the magnetic field when gyrosynchontron emission is detected. In this work we measure various CME plasma parameters, including its magnetic field, by modelling the gyrosynchrotron …
Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are tightly related to filament eruptions and usually are their continuation in the upper solar corona. It is common practice to divide all observed CMEs into fast and slow ones. Fast CMEs usually follow eruptive events in active regions near big sunspot groups and associated with major solar flares. Slow CMEs are more related to eruptions of quiescent prominences located far from active regions. We analyze ten eruptive events with particular attention to the events on 2013 September 29 and on 2016 January 26, one of which was associated with a fast CME, while ano…
Detections of stellar coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are still rare. Observations of strong Balmer line asymmetries during flare events have been interpreted as being caused by CMEs. Here, we aim to estimate the maximum possible Balmer line fluxes expected from CMEs to infer their detectability in spectroscopic observations. Moreover, we use these results together with a model of intrinsic CME rates to infer the potentially observable CME rates for stars of different spectral types under various observing conditions, as well as the minimum required observing time to detect stellar CMEs in Balme…
We determine the coronal magnetic field strength in the heliocentric distance range 6 to 23 solar radii (Rs) by measuring the shock standoff distance and the radius of curvature of the flux rope during the 2008 March 25 coronal mass ejection (CME) imaged by white-light coronagraphs. Assuming the adiabatic index, we determine the Alfven Mach number, and hence the Alfven speed in the ambient medium using the measured shock speed. By measuring the upstream plasma density using polarization brightness images, we finally get the magnetic field strength upstream of the shock. The estimated magnetic …
The familiar correlation between the speed and angular width of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) is also found in solar cycle 24, but the regression line has a larger slope: for a given CME speed, cycle 24 CMEs are significantly wider than those in cycle 23. The slope change indicates a significant change in the physical state of the heliosphere, due to the weak solar activity. The total pressure in the heliosphere (magnetic + plasma) is reduced by ~40%, which leads to the anomalous expansion of CMEs explaining the increased slope. The excess CME expansion contributes to the diminished effectiven…
We investigate the early phase of the 13 February 2009 coronal mass ejection (CME). Observations with the twin STEREO spacecraft in quadrature allow us to compare for the first time in one and the same event the temporal evolution of coronal EUV dimmings, observed simultaneously on-disk and above the limb. We find that these dimmings are synchronized and appear during the impulsive acceleration phase of the CME, with the highest EUV intensity drop occurring a few minutes after the maximum CME acceleration. During the propagation phase two confined, bipolar dimming regions, appearing near the f…
We study the coronal mass ejection (CME) with a complex acceleration profile. The event occurred on April 23, 2009. It had an impulsive acceleration phase, an impulsive deceleration phase, and a second impulsive acceleration phase. During its evolution, the CME showed signatures of different acceleration mechanisms: kink instability, prominence drainage, flare reconnection, and a CME-CME collision. The special feature of the observations is the usage of the TESIS EUV telescope. The instrument could image the solar corona in the Fe 171 Å line up to a distance of 2 $R_\odot$ from the center of t…
Ray-like features observed by coronagraphs in the wake of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are sometimes interpreted as the white light counterparts of current sheets (CSs) produced by the eruption. The 3D geometry of these ray-like features is largely unknown and its knowledge should clarify their association to the CS and place constraints on CME physics and coronal conditions. With this study we test these important implications for the first time. An example of such a post-CME ray was observed by various coronagraphs, including these of the SECCHI instrument suite of the STEREO twin spacecraf…
We investigate how coronal mass ejections (CMEs) propagate through, and interact with, the inner heliosphere between the Sun and Earth, a key question in CME research and space weather forecasting. CME Sun-to-Earth kinematics are constrained by combining wide-angle heliospheric imaging observations, interplanetary radio type II bursts and in situ measurements from multiple vantage points. We select three events for this study, the 2012 January 19, 23, and March 7 CMEs. Different from previous event studies, this work attempts to create a general picture for CME Sun-to-Earth propagation and com…
The effects of a large coronal mass ejection (CME) on a solar coronal streamer located roughly 90 degrees from the main direction of the CME propagation observed on January 2, 2012 by the SOHO/LASCO coronagraph are analyzed. Radial coronal streamers undergo some bending when CMEs pass through the corona, even at large angular distances from the streamers. The phenomenon resembles a bending wave traveling along the streamer. Some researchers interpret these phenomena as the effects of traveling shocks generated by rapid CMEs, while others suggest they are waves excited inside the streamers by e…
The successive coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from 2010 July 30 - August 1 present us the first opportunity to study CME-CME interactions with unprecedented heliospheric imaging and in situ observations from multiple vantage points. We describe two cases of CME interactions: merging of two CMEs launched close in time and overtaking of a preceding CME by a shock wave. The first two CMEs on August 1 interact close to the Sun and form a merged front, which then overtakes the July 30 CME near 1 AU, as revealed by wide-angle imaging observations. Connections between imaging observations and in situ …
