Coronal Mass Ejections: Models and Their Observational Basis

By P. Chen. 2011

727 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are the largest-scale eruptive phenomenon in the solar system, expanding from active region-sized nonpotential magnetic structure to a much larger size. The bulk of plasma with a mass of ∼ 1011,1013 kg is hauled up all the way out to the interplanetary space with a typical velocity of several hundred or even more than 1000 km s−1, with a chance to impact our Earth, resulting in hazardous space weather conditions. They involve many other much smaller-sized solar eruptive phenomena, such as X-ray sigmoids, filament/prominence eruptions, solar flares, plasma heating and radiation, particle acceleration, EIT waves, EUV dimmings, Moreton waves, solar radio bursts, and so on. It is believed that, by shedding the accumulating magnetic energy and helicity, they complete the last link in the chain of the cycling of the solar magnetic field. In this review, I try to explicate our understanding on each stage of the fantastic phenomenon, including their pre-eruption structure, their triggering mechanisms and the precursors indicating the initiation process, their acceleration and propagation. Particular attention is paid to clarify some hot debates, e.g., whether magnetic reconnection is necessary for the eruption, whether there are two types of CMEs, how the CME frontal loop is formed, and whether halo CMEs are special.

Subfields: Astronomy and Astrophysics

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/2d693510170f92853a518e6fdebc98e0ffcbe99a

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In Astronomy and Astrophysics

1. M. Temmer
2. Nat Gopalswamy
3. B. Vršnak
4. N. Lugaz
5. T. Howard
6. D. Webb
7. A. Vourlidas
8. R. Howard

Citations in the corpus

• Magnetohydrodynamic Oscillations in the Solar Corona and Earth’s Magnetosphere: Towards Consolidated Understanding (2016, background): “Comprehensive reviews of recent achievements in the observational study and theoretical modelling of these phenomena can be found by Benz (2008), Chen (2011), Shibata and Magara (2011), Webb and Howard (2012).”
• The Interaction of Successive Coronal Mass Ejections: A Review (2016, background): “At the Sun, the exact cause(s) and trigger(s) of CME initiation are still a matter of debate (see review by Chen, 2011), but it is well established that CMEs are one of the main ways for currents and magnetic energy to be released.”
• History and development of coronal mass ejections as a key player in solar terrestrial relationship (2016, background): “Figure 9 shows a flux rope CME observed in the LASCO field of view on 1997 April 13, which was modeled by Chen et al. (1997).”
• Geomagnetic storms: historical perspective to modern view (2016, background): “1995; Benz 2008; Chen 2011; Shibata and Magara 2011).”
• The magnetic field in the solar atmosphere (2014, background): “Changes in the coronal magnetic field configuration, owing to magnetic reconnection of non-potential closed magnetic fields below coronal streamers, for example, are in fact thought to be the building blocks of the basic mechanism of coronal mass ejecta (for reviews see Forbes, 2000; Chen, 2011).”
• The Physical Processes of CME/ICME Evolution (2017, background): “…9990 Mesa Rim Rd, Ste 170, San Diego, CA 92121, USA 7 Hvar Observatory, Faculty of Geodesy, University of Zagreb, Kaciceva 26, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia from STEREO among many other spacecraft while a companion paper by Chen (2011) summarizes recent advances in numerical modeling of CME initiation.”
• Observations of Turbulent Magnetic Reconnection within a Solar Current Sheet (2018, background): “These features basically conform to the classic picture of eruptive flares (Sturrock 1966; Shibata et al. 1995; Chen 2011), in which the eruption of a twisted magnetic flux rope leaves behind a long and narrow current sheet (Lin & Forbes 2000).”
• Coronal Mass Ejections: Observations (2012, background): “In addition, see also the Living Reviews by Schwenn (2006) and Chen (2011), and other Living Reviews in Solar Physics articles on prominences, flares, space weather, and other related phenomena.”
• How Many CMEs Have Flux Ropes? Deciphering the Signatures of Shocks, Flux Ropes, and Prominences in Coronagraph Observations of CMEs (2012, background): “Namely, the erupting structure is SOLA: ms_sub.tex; 2 May 2014; 8:33; p. 2 always a FR (Chen, 2011).”
• DIFFERENTIAL EMISSION MEASURE ANALYSIS OF MULTIPLE STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS OF CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS IN THE INNER CORONA (2012, background): “Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are perhaps the most spectacular form of solar activity, which expel large quantities of plasma (order of ∼1010 to ∼1013 kg) at a speed of hundreds of km s−1 with the fastest ones over 3000 km s−1 (Yashiro et al. 2004; Chen 2011).”
• Space weather: the solar perspective (2021, background): “In addition, the long-standing question whether halo CMEs would be different compared to limb events (see e.g., the Living Reviews by Chen 2011) could be solved.”
• Solar Flares: Magnetohydrodynamic Processes (2011, methodology): “Regarding the modeling of CME, there are several concise and comprehensive reviews (Forbes, 2000; Klimchuk, 2001; Gibson et al., 2006; Mikić and Lee, 2006; Forbes et al., 2006; Chen, 2011).”
• Advances in Observing Various Coronal EUV Waves in the SDO Era and Their Seismological Applications (Invited Review) (2014, unknown): “…and Zhukov (2011) for updates with early STEREO observations, to Patsourakos and Vourlidas (2012) for a synthesized view from SOHO, STEREO, Hinode, and SDO in its first year of operation, and to Vršnak and Cliver (2008) and Chen (2011) for related subjects of coronal shocks and CMEs, respectively.”