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Register a new userCan solar wind viscous drag account for CME deceleration?
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Added by
Prasad Subramanian Dr
Publication date
2012
fields
Physics
and research's language is
English
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The forces acting on solar Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) in the interplanetary medium have been evaluated so far in terms of an empirical drag coefficient $C_{rm D} sim 1$ that quantifies the role of the aerodynamic drag experienced by a typical CME due to its interaction with the ambient solar wind. We use a microphysical prescription for viscosity in the turbulent solar wind to obtain an analytical model for the drag coefficient $C_{rm D}$. This is the first physical characterization of the aerodynamic drag experienced by CMEs. We use this physically motivated prescription for $C_{rm D}$ in a simple, 1D model for CME propagation to obtain velocity profiles and travel times that agree well with observations of deceleration experienced by fast CMEs.
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