Tracking the 3D evolution of a halo coronal mass ejection using the revised cone model^⋆

Key Laboratory of Dark Matter and Space Astronomy, Purple Mountain Observatory, CAS, Nanjing 210023, PR China
e-mail: zhangqm@pmo.ac.cn

Received: 17 December 2021
Accepted: 21 February 2022

Abstract

Aims. This paper aims to track the three-dimensional (3D) evolution of a full halo coronal mass ejection (CME) on 2011 June 21.

Methods. The CME results from a nonradial eruption of a filament-carrying flux rope in NOAA active region 11236. The eruption was observed in extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) wavelengths by the extreme-ultraviolet imager (EUVI) on board the ahead and behind Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) spacecrafts and the atmospheric imaging assembly (AIA) on board the solar dynamics observatory (SDO). The CME was observed by the COR1 coronagraph on board STEREO and the C2 coronagraph on board the large angle spectroscopic coronagraph (LASCO). The revised cone model was slightly modified, with the top of the cone becoming a sphere, which is internally tangent to the legs. Using the multipoint observations, the cone model was applied to derive the morphological and kinematic properties of the CME.

Results. The cone shape fits nicely with the CME observed by EUVI and COR1 on board the STEREO twin spacecraft and LASCO/C2 coronagraph. The cone angle increases sharply from 54° to 130° in the initial phase, indicating a rapid expansion. A relation between the cone angle and the heliocentric distance of the CME leading front is derived, ω = 130° −480d⁻⁵, where d is in units of R_⊙. The inclination angle decreases gradually from ∼51° to ∼18°, suggesting a trend of radial propagation. The heliocentric distance increases gradually in the initial phase and quickly in the later phase up to ∼11 R_⊙. The true speed of the CME reaches ∼1140 km s⁻¹, which is ∼1.6 times higher than the apparent speed in the LASCO/C2 field of view.

Conclusions. The revised cone model is promising in tracking the complete evolution of CMEs.