Snapshots of CME propagation. The figure presents snapshots of the simulation as the CME is propagating in the low corona at t = 10.8 min. In panel a the colour intensity denotes the density compression compared to the quasi-steady solar wind, with annotations indicating the PUC, sheath, and reconnection site. The plot in panel b shows the plasma beta, and panels c and d present the out-of-plane velocity component v_ϕ and the co-latitudinal (meridional) component v_θ.