Self-consistent propagation of flux ropes in realistic coronal simulations

¹ Centre for Mathematical Plasma-Astrophysics, Department of Mathematics, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200B, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
e-mail: luis.linan@kuleuven.be
² Space Science Center, Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, and Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of New Hampshire, College Road, Durham, NH 03824, USA
³ Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris Cité, CEA, CNRS, AIM, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
⁴ Institute of Space Science and Applied Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, PR China
⁵ Von Karman Institute For Fluid Dynamics, Waterloosesteenweg 72, 1640 Sint-Genesius-Rode, Brussels, Belgium
⁶ Institute of Physics, University of Maria Curie-Skłodowska, ul. Radziszewskiego 10, 20-031 Lublin, Poland
⁷ LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, 5 Place Jules Janssen, 92190 Meudon, France
⁸ University of Glasgow, School of Physics and Astronomy, Glasgow, G128QQ Scotland, UK

Received: 24 February 2023
Accepted: 30 April 2023

Abstract

Context. The text has been edited to adhere to American English based on the spelling style used in the text. In order to anticipate the geoeffectiveness of coronal mass ejections (CMEs), heliospheric simulations are used to propagate transient structures injected at 0.1 AU. Without direct measurements near the Sun, the properties of these injected CMEs must be derived from models coming from observations or numerical simulations, and thus they contain a lot of uncertainty.

Aims. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the possible use of the new coronal model COCONUT to compute a detailed representation of a numerical CME at 0.1 AU after its injection at the solar surface and propagation in a realistic solar wind, as derived from observed magnetograms.

Methods. We present the implementation and propagation of modified Titov-Démoulin flux ropes in the COCONUT 3D magnetohydrodynamics coronal model. Background solar wind was reconstructed in order to model two opposite configurations representing a solar activity maximum and minimum, respectively. Both configurations were derived from magnetograms that were obtained by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager on board the Solar Dynamic Observatory satellite. We tracked the propagation of 24 flux ropes that differ only by their initial magnetic flux. In particular, we investigated the geometry of the flux ropes during the early stages of their propagation as well as the influence of their initial parameters and solar wind configuration on 1D profiles derived at 0.1 AU.

Results. At the beginning of the propagation, the shape of the flux ropes varied between simulations during low and high solar activity. We found dynamics that are consistent with the standard CME model, such as pinching of the CME legs and the appearance of post-flare loops. Despite the differences in geometry, the synthetic density and magnetic field time profiles at 0.1 AU are very similar in both solar wind configurations. These profiles are also similar to those observed further in the heliosphere and suggest the presence of a magnetic ejecta composed of the initially implemented flux rope and a sheath ahead of it. Finally, we uncovered relationships between the properties of the magnetic ejecta, such as relationships between density or speed and the initial magnetic flux of our flux ropes.

Conclusions. The implementation of the modified Titov-Démoulin flux rope in COCONUT enables us to retrieve the major properties of CMEs at 0.1 AU for any phase of the solar cycle. When combined with heliospheric simulations, COCONUT could lead to more realistic and self-consistent CME evolution models and thus more reliable predictions.