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A Numerical Study of the Response of the Coronal Magnetic Field to Flux Emergence

  • ADVANCES IN EUROPEAN SOLAR PHYSICS
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Abstract

Large-scale solar eruptions, known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs), are regarded as the main drivers of space weather. The exact trigger mechanism of these violent events is still not completely clear; however, the solar magnetic field indisputably plays a crucial role in the onset of CMEs. The strength and morphology of the solar magnetic field are expected to have a decisive effect on CME properties, such as size and speed. This study aims to investigate the evolution of a magnetic configuration when driven by the emergence of new magnetic flux in order to get a better insight into the onset of CMEs and their magnetic structure. The three-dimensional, time-dependent equations for ideal magnetohydrodynamics are numerically solved on a spherical mesh. New flux emergence in a bipolar active region causes destabilisation of the initial stationary structure, finally resulting in an eruption. The initial magnetic topology is suitable for the ‘breakout’ CME scenario to work. Although no magnetic flux rope structure is present in the initial condition, highly twisted magnetic field lines are formed during the evolution of the system as a result of internal reconnection due to the interaction of the active region magnetic field with the ambient field. The magnetic energy built up in the system and the final speed of the CME depend on the strength of the overlying magnetic field, the flux emergence rate, and the total amount of emerged flux. The interaction with the global coronal field makes the eruption a large-scale event, involving distant parts of the solar surface.

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded by projects GOA/2009-009 (K.U.Leuven), G.0729.11 (FWO-Vlaanderen), 3E090665 (FWO-Vlaanderen), and C 90347 (ESA Prodex 9). For the simulations we used the infrastructure of the VSC – Flemish Supercomputer Centre, funded by the Hercules foundation and the Flemish Government – department EWI. We gratefuly thank the anonymous referee for his/her comments and suggestions.

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  1. Centre for Plasma-Astrophysics, Department of Mathematics, University of Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200B, 3001, Leuven, Belgium

    C. Jacobs & S. Poedts

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  1. C. Jacobs
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  2. S. Poedts
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Correspondence to C. Jacobs.

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Advances in European Solar Physics

Guest Editors: Valery M. Nakariakov, Manolis K. Georgoulis, and Stefaan Poedts

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Jacobs, C., Poedts, S. A Numerical Study of the Response of the Coronal Magnetic Field to Flux Emergence. Sol Phys 280, 389–405 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-012-9941-8

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