CME Magnetic Structure and IMF Preconditioning Affecting SEP Transport

Abstract

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and solar energetic particles (SEPs) are two phenomena that can cause severe space weather effects throughout the heliosphere. The evolution of CMEs, especially in terms of their magnetic structure, and the configuration of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) that influences the transport of SEPs are currently areas of active research. These two aspects are not necessarily independent of each other, especially during solar maximum when multiple eruptive events can occur close in time. Accordingly, we present the analysis of a CME that erupted on 2012 May 11 (SOL2012-05-11) and an SEP event following an eruption that took place on 2012 May 17 (SOL2012-05-17). After observing the May 11 CME using remote-sensing data from three viewpoints, we evaluate its propagation through interplanetary space using several models. Then, we analyse in-situ measurements from five predicted impact locations (Venus, Earth, the Spitzer Space Telescope, the Mars Science Laboratory en route to Mars, and Mars) in order to search for CME signatures. We find that all in-situ locations detect signatures of an SEP event, which we trace back to the May 17 eruption. These findings suggest that the May 11 CME provided a direct magnetic connectivity for the efficient transport of SEPs. We discuss the space weather implications of CME evolution, regarding in particular its magnetic structure, and CME-driven IMF preconditioning that facilitates SEP transport. Finally, this work remarks the importance of using data from multiple spacecraft, even those that do not include space weather research as their primary objective.

Investigating Remote-Sensing Techniques to Reveal Stealth Coronal Mass Ejections

“…The 3D reconstruction or triangulation is then achieved by finding the intersection of the two lines of sight (for each pixel of interest) along the corresponding epipolar plane, which is unambiguously defined. In solar physics applications, the TP method has been used to evaluate the 3D morphology of erupting filaments (e.g., Bemporad et al, 2011;Thompson et al, 2012;Panasenco et al, 2013;Palmerio et al, 2021) and the evolution of CME fronts or cores in coronagraph data (e.g., Mierla et al, 2008Mierla et al, , 2009Srivastava et al, 2009;Liewer et al, 2011).…”

Magnetic Structure and Propagation of Two Interacting CMEs From the Sun to Saturn

“…Wang & Richardson, 2001. Finally, another important contribution in understanding CME properties away from 1 AU has come from planetary missions, which usually spend some part of their orbit outside of the planet's bow shock, thus exposing their instruments to the solar wind (e.g., Collinson et al, 2015;Good & Forsyth, 2016;Janvier et al, 2019;Jian et al, 2008a;Lee et al, 2017;Palmerio et al, 2021;Winslow et al, 2015).…”

“…In-situ measurements of the same CMEs by multiple spacecraft at different radial distances throughout the heliosphere enable studies of their interplanetary evolution (e.g., Burlaga et al, 1981;de Lucas et al, 2011;Good et al, 2018Good et al, , 2019Lugaz et al, 2020;Salman et al, 2020;Vršnak et al, 2019). Additionally, solar and heliospheric remote-sensing observations can be combined with multi-spacecraft in-situ data to obtain a complete picture of the whole solar-heliospheric system when characterizing CME evolution (e.g., Asvestari et al, 2021;Kilpua et al, 2019;Möstl et al, 2015;Nieves-Chinchilla et al, 2012;Palmerio et al, 2021;Prise et al, 2015;J. D. Richardson et al, 2002;Rodriguez et al, 2008;Rouillard et al, 2009).…”

On-orbit performance of the Spitzer Space Telescope: science meets engineering

“…In addition, the position of Spitzer in its orbit allowed data on particle hits as recorded by Spitzer to be used in partnership with data from other spacecraft throughout the inner solar system to constrain models of Solar Energetic Particle events and Coronal Mass Ejections. 20,21 A figure of merit for the health of the arrays over time is the number of hot and noisy pixels. These changed with time as some pixels recovered and others became hot or noisy.…”