On the Contribution of Coronal Mass Ejections to the Heliospheric Magnetic Flux Budget on Different Time Scales
Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) contribute closed magnetic flux to the heliosphere while they are connected at both ends to the Sun and play a key role in adding magnetic flux to the heliosphere. Here, we discuss how the type of magnetic reconnection that opens CME field lines in the inner heliosphere...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2023-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad02f2 |
| _version_ | 1827766108318334976 |
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| author | Réka M. Winslow Camilla Scolini Noé Lugaz Nathan A. Schwadron Antoinette B. Galvin |
| author_facet | Réka M. Winslow Camilla Scolini Noé Lugaz Nathan A. Schwadron Antoinette B. Galvin |
| author_sort | Réka M. Winslow |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) contribute closed magnetic flux to the heliosphere while they are connected at both ends to the Sun and play a key role in adding magnetic flux to the heliosphere. Here, we discuss how the type of magnetic reconnection that opens CME field lines in the inner heliosphere, i.e., interchange (IC) and/or interplanetary (IP) reconnection, determines the length of time CMEs contribute to the heliospheric flux budget. This distinction has not been taken into account in past studies that estimate the CME flux opening timescale. We outline key criteria to aid in distinguishing IC reconnection from IP reconnection based on in situ spacecraft data and highlight these through two example events. Studying the manner in which CMEs reconnect and open in the inner heliosphere yields important insights not only into CMEs’ role in the heliospheric flux budget but also the evolution of CME complexity, connectivity, and topology. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T11:37:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-16f63c1b57ff466392119a024d304e5a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1538-4357 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T11:37:18Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-16f63c1b57ff466392119a024d304e5a2023-11-10T12:46:56ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572023-01-0195814110.3847/1538-4357/ad02f2On the Contribution of Coronal Mass Ejections to the Heliospheric Magnetic Flux Budget on Different Time ScalesRéka M. Winslow0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9276-9487Camilla Scolini1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5681-0526Noé Lugaz2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1890-6156Nathan A. Schwadron3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3737-9283Antoinette B. Galvin4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3752-5700Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, University of New Hampshire , Durham, NH, USA ; reka.winslow@unh.eduInstitute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, University of New Hampshire , Durham, NH, USA ; reka.winslow@unh.edu; Solar–Terrestrial Centre of Excellence—SIDC, Royal Observatory of Belgium , Brussels, BelgiumInstitute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, University of New Hampshire , Durham, NH, USA ; reka.winslow@unh.eduInstitute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, University of New Hampshire , Durham, NH, USA ; reka.winslow@unh.edu; Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University , Princeton, NJ 08544, USAInstitute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, University of New Hampshire , Durham, NH, USA ; reka.winslow@unh.eduCoronal mass ejections (CMEs) contribute closed magnetic flux to the heliosphere while they are connected at both ends to the Sun and play a key role in adding magnetic flux to the heliosphere. Here, we discuss how the type of magnetic reconnection that opens CME field lines in the inner heliosphere, i.e., interchange (IC) and/or interplanetary (IP) reconnection, determines the length of time CMEs contribute to the heliospheric flux budget. This distinction has not been taken into account in past studies that estimate the CME flux opening timescale. We outline key criteria to aid in distinguishing IC reconnection from IP reconnection based on in situ spacecraft data and highlight these through two example events. Studying the manner in which CMEs reconnect and open in the inner heliosphere yields important insights not only into CMEs’ role in the heliospheric flux budget but also the evolution of CME complexity, connectivity, and topology.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad02f2Solar coronal mass ejectionsHeliosphereSolar magnetic reconnection |
| spellingShingle | Réka M. Winslow Camilla Scolini Noé Lugaz Nathan A. Schwadron Antoinette B. Galvin On the Contribution of Coronal Mass Ejections to the Heliospheric Magnetic Flux Budget on Different Time Scales The Astrophysical Journal Solar coronal mass ejections Heliosphere Solar magnetic reconnection |
| title | On the Contribution of Coronal Mass Ejections to the Heliospheric Magnetic Flux Budget on Different Time Scales |
| title_full | On the Contribution of Coronal Mass Ejections to the Heliospheric Magnetic Flux Budget on Different Time Scales |
| title_fullStr | On the Contribution of Coronal Mass Ejections to the Heliospheric Magnetic Flux Budget on Different Time Scales |
| title_full_unstemmed | On the Contribution of Coronal Mass Ejections to the Heliospheric Magnetic Flux Budget on Different Time Scales |
| title_short | On the Contribution of Coronal Mass Ejections to the Heliospheric Magnetic Flux Budget on Different Time Scales |
| title_sort | on the contribution of coronal mass ejections to the heliospheric magnetic flux budget on different time scales |
| topic | Solar coronal mass ejections Heliosphere Solar magnetic reconnection |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad02f2 |
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