High-speed solar wind streams (HSSs) interact with the preceding ambient solar wind to form Stream Interaction Regions (SIRs), which are a primary source of recurrent geomagnetic storms. However, HSSs may also encounter and subsequently interact with Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections (ICMEs). In particular, the impact of the interaction between slower ICMEs and faster HSSs, represents an unexplored area that requires further in-depth investigation. This specific interaction can give rise to unexpected geomagnetic storm signatures, diverging from the conventional expectations of individual SIR events sharing similar HSS properties. Our study presents a comprehensive analysis of solar wind data spanning from 1996 to 2020, capturing 23 instances where such encounters led to geomagnetic storms ($SymH$ $< -30$ nT). We determined that interaction events between preceding slower ICMEs and faster HSSs possess the potential to induce substantial storm activity, statistically nearly doubling the geoeffective impact in comparison to SIR storm events. The increase in the amplitude of the $SymH$ index appears to result from heightened dynamic pressure, often coupled with the concurrent amplification of the CMEs rearward $|B|$ and/or $B_z$ components.
Numerical studies of the interplanetary "multiple magnetic clouds (Multi-MC)" are performed by a 2.5-dimensional ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model in the heliospheric meridional plane. Both slow MC1 and fast MC2 are initially emerged along the heliospheric equator, one after another with different time interval. The coupling of two MCs could be considered as the comprehensive interaction between two systems, each comprising of an MC body and its driven shock. The MC2-driven shock and MC2 body are successively involved into interaction with MC1 body. The momentum is transferred from MC2 to …
Numerical studies of the interplanetary "shock overtaking magnetic cloud (MC)" event are continued by a 2.5 dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model in heliospheric meridional plane. Interplanetary direct collision (DC)/oblique collision (OC) between an MC and a shock results from their same/different initial propagation orientations. For radially erupted MC and shock in solar corona, the orientations are only determined respectively by their heliographic locations. OC is investigated in contrast with the results in DC \citep{Xiong2006}. The shock front behaves as a smooth arc. The cannibal…
Numerical studies have been performed to interpret the observed "shock overtaking magnetic cloud (MC)" event by a 2.5 dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model in heliospheric meridional plane. Results of an individual MC simulation show that the MC travels with a constant bulk flow speed. The MC is injected with very strong inherent magnetic field over that in the ambient flow and expands rapidly in size initially. Consequently, the diameter of MC increases in an asymptotic speed while its angular width contracts gradually. Meanwhile, simulations of MC-shock interaction are also presented, …
The numerical studies of the interplanetary coupling between multiple magnetic clouds (MCs) are continued by a 2.5-dimensional ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model in the heliospheric meridional plane. The interplanetary direct collision (DC) / oblique collision (OC) between both MCs results from their same/different initial propagation orientations. Here the OC is explored in contrast to the results of the DC (Xiong et al., 2007). Both the slow MC1 and fast MC2 are consequently injected from the different heliospheric latitudes to form a compound stream during the interplanetary propagation.…
Aims: Our goal is to propagate multiple eruptions - obtained through numerical simulations performed in a previous study - to 1 AU and to analyse the effects of different background solar winds on their dynamics and structure at Earth. We also aim to improve the understanding of why some consecutive eruptions do not result in the expected geoeffectiveness, and how a secondary coronal mass ejection (CME) can affect the configuration of the preceding one. Methods: Using the 2.5D magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) package of the code MPI-AMRVAC, we numerically modeled consecutive CMEs inserted in two dif…
Magnetic clouds (MCs) are flux-rope magnetic structures forming a subset of solar coronal mass ejections which have significant space weather impacts. The geoeffectiveness of MCs depends on their properties which evolve during their interplanetary passage. Based on an analysis of observations spanning two solar cycles we establish that MCs interacting with the ambient solar wind magnetic field (i.e., heliospheric open flux) lose a substantial amount of their initial magnetic flux via magnetic reconnection, which in some cases, reduce their geoeffectiveness. We find a linear correlation between…
We report on the kinematics of two interacting CMEs observed on 13 and 14 June 2012. Both CMEs originated from the same active region NOAA 11504. After their launches which were separated by several hours, they were observed to interact at a distance of 100 Rs from the Sun. The interaction led to a moderate geomagnetic storm at the Earth with Dst index of approximately, -86 nT. The kinematics of the two CMEs is estimated using data from the Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation (SECCHI) onboard the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO). Assuming a head-on colli…
In our previous articles (Chertok et al.: 2013, Solar Phys. 282, 175, and 2015, Solar Phys. 290, 627), we presented a preliminary tool for the early diagnostics of the geoeffectiveness of solar eruptions based on the estimate of the total unsigned line-of-sight photospheric magnetic flux in accompanying extreme-ultraviolet arcades and dimmings. This tool was based on the analysis of eruptions observed in 1996-2005 with SOHO/EIT and MDI. Empirical relationships were obtained to estimate the probable importance of upcoming space weather disturbances caused by an eruption, which just occurred, wi…
In the early days of 2017 September, an exceptionally energetic solar active region AR12673 aroused great interest in the solar physics community. It produced four X class flares, more than 20 CMEs and an intense geomagnetic storm, for which the peak value of the Dst index reached up to -142nT at 2017 September 8 02:00 UT. In this work, we check the interplanetary and solar source of this intense geomagnetic storm. We find that this geomagnetic storm was mainly caused by a shock-ICME complex structure, which was formed by a shock driven by the 2017 September 6 CME propagating into a previous I…
We analyse the characteristics of interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) during Solar Cycles 23 and 24. The present analysis is primarily based on the near-Earth ICME catalogue (Richardson and Cane, 2010). An important aspect of this study is to understand the near-Earth and geoeffective aspects of ICMEs in terms of their association (type II ICMEs) versus absence (non-type II ICMEs) of decameter-hectometer (DH) type II radio bursts, detected by Wind/WAVES and STEREOS/WAVES. Notably, DH type II radio bursts driven by a CME indicate powerful MHD shocks leaving the inner corona and enteri…
Solar activity, ranging from the background solar wind to energetic coronal mass ejections (CMEs), is the main driver of the conditions in the interplanetary space and in the terrestrial space environment, known as space weather. A better understanding of the Sun-Earth connection carries enormous potential to mitigate negative space weather effects with economic and social benefits. Effective space weather forecasting relies on data and models. In this paper, we discuss some of the most used space weather models, and propose suitable locations for data gathering with space weather purposes. We…
Visualizing the Magnetic Structure in Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections with ATHARV
Indian Institute of Science (IISc)（印度科学研究所）；Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES)（阿里亚巴塔观测科学研究所）；Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University（马哈特玛·乔蒂巴·普尔罗希尔坎德大学）；Indian Institute of Technology Delhi（德里印度理工学院）；Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST)（印度空间科学与技术学院）；IISER Kolkata（加尔各答印度科学教育研究所）
The magnetic fields of interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs), which originate close to the Sun in the form of a flux rope, determine their geoeffectiveness. Therefore, robust flux rope-based models of CMEs are required to perform magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations aimed at space weather predictions. We propose a modified spheromak model and demonstrate its applicability to CME simulations. In this model, such properties of a simulated CME as the poloidal and toroidal magnetic fluxes, and the helicity sign can be controlled with a set of input parameters. We propose a robust techniqu…
We analyse in this work the propagation and geoeffectiveness of four successive coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that erupted from the Sun during 21--23 May 2013 and that were detected in interplanetary space by the Wind and/or STEREO-A spacecraft. All these CMEs featured critical aspects for understanding so-called "problem space weather storms" at Earth. In the first three events a limb CMEs resulted in moderately geoeffective in-situ structures at their target location in terms of the disturbance storm time (Dst) index (either measured or estimated). The fourth CME, which also caused a moderat…
The largest geomagnetic storm so far in the solar cycle 24 was produced by a fast coronal mass ejection (CME) originating on 2015 March 15. It was an initially west-oriented CME and expected to only cause a weak geomagnetic disturbance. Why did this CME finally cause such a large geomagnetic storm? We try to find some clues by investigating its propagation from the Sun to 1 AU. First, we reconstruct the CME's kinematic properties in the corona from the SOHO and SDO imaging data with the aid of the graduated cylindrical shell (GCS) model. It is suggested that the CME propagated to the west $\si…
Based on our tool for the early diagnostics of solar eruption geoeffectiveness (EDSEG tool; Chertok et al., 2013, 2015, 2017), we have analyzed space weather disturbances that occurred in early September 2017. Two flares, SOL2017-09-04T20:33 (M5.5) and SOL2017-09-06T12:02 (X9.3), accompanied by Earth-directed halo coronal mass ejections (CMEs) were found to be geoeffective. We extracted the associated EUV dimmings and arcades and calculated their total unsigned magnetic flux. This calculation allowed us to estimate the possible scales of the Forbush decreases (FDs) and geomagnetic storms (GMSs…
Unprecedented Multipoint Observation of Spatially Varying ICME Turbulence of Different Ages during October 2024 Extreme Solar Storm at 1 AU
Space Physics Laboratory, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Indian Space Research Organization（印度空间研究组织维克拉姆萨拉巴伊航天中心空间物理实验室）；Department of Physics, University of Kerala（喀拉拉大学物理系）；National Institute for Astrophysics, Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology（意大利国家天体物理研究所空间天体物理学与行星科学研究所）；Centre for Space Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee（印度鲁尔凯理工学院空间科学与技术中心）；Physical Research Laboratory（物理研究实验室）
Aims. The magnetic field of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) determines their structure, evolution, and energetics, as well as their geoeffectiveness. However, we currently lack routine diagnostics of the near-Sun CME magnetic field, which is crucial for determining the subsequent evolution of CMEs. Methods. We recently presented a method to infer the near-Sun magnetic field magnitude of CMEs and then extrapolate it to 1 AU. This method uses relatively easy to deduce observational estimates of the magnetic helicity in CME-source regions along with geometrical CME fits enabled by coronagraph obser…
Sheaths ahead of interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) are turbulent heliospheric structures. Knowledge of their structure and fluctuations is important for understanding their geoeffectiveness, their role in accelerating particles, and the interaction of ICMEs with the solar wind. We studied observations from the Parker Solar Probe of a sheath observed at 0.5 au in March 2019, ahead of a slow streamer blowout CME. To examine the MHD-scale turbulent properties, we calculated fluctuation amplitudes, magnetic compressibility, partial variance of increments (PVI), cross helicity ($σ_c$), …
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 st…
Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are the primary sources of intense disturbances at Earth, where their geo-effectiveness is largely determined by their dynamic pressure and internal magnetic field, which can be significantly altered during interactions with other CMEs in interplanetary space. We analyse three successive CMEs that erupted from the Sun during September 4-6, 2017, investigating the role of CME-CME interactions as source of the associated intense geomagnetic storm (Dst_min=-142 nT on September 7). To quantify the impact of interactions on the (geo-)effectiveness of individual CMEs, w…
