Coronal Mass Ejections as Expanding Force-Free Structures

Abstract

We model solar coronal mass ejections (CMEs) as expanding force-free magnetic structures and find the self-similar dynamics of configurations with spatially constant α, where J=α B, in spherical and cylindrical geometries, expanding spheromaks and Lundquist fields, respectively. The field structures remain force-free, under the conventional non-relativistic assumption that the dynamical effects of the inductive electric fields can be neglected. While keeping the internal magnetic field structure of the stationary solutions, expansion leads to complicated internal velocities and rotation, caused by inductive electric fields. The structure depends only on overall radius R(t) and rate of expansion $\dot{R}(t)$ measured at a given moment, and thus is applicable to arbitrary expansion laws. In case of cylindrical Lundquist fields, magnetic flux conservation requires that both axial and radial expansion proceed with equal rates. In accordance with observations, the model predicts that the maximum magnetic field is reached before the spacecraft reaches the geometric center of a CME.