High-quality white-light images from the SECCHI/HI-1 telescope onboard STEREO-B reveal high-velocity evanescent clumps [HVECs] expelled from the coma of the C/2011 L4 [Pan-STARRS] comet. Animated images provide evidence of highly dynamic ejecta movin
g near-radially in the anti-sunward direction. The bulk speed of the clumps at their initial detection in the HI1-B images range from $200-400$ km s$^{-1}$ followed by an appreciable acceleration up to speeds of $450-600$ km s$^{-1}$, which are typical of slow to intermediate solar wind speeds. The clump velocities do not exceed these limiting values and seem to reach a plateau. The images also show that the clumps do not expand as they propagate. Order of magnitude calculations show that ionized single atoms or molecules accelerate too quickly compared to observations, while dust grains micron sized or larger accelerate too slowly. We find that neutral Na, Li, K, or Ca atoms with $beta>50$ could possibly fit the observations. Just as likely, we find that an interaction with the solar wind and the heliospheric magnetic field (HMF) can cause the observed clump dynamical evolution, accelerating them quickly up to solar wind velocities. We thus speculate that the HVECs are composed of charged particles (dust particles) or neutral atoms accelerated by radiation pressure at $beta>50$ values. In addition, the data suggest that clump ejecta initially move along near-radial, bright structures, which then separate into HVECs and larger dust grains that steadily bend backwards relative to the comets orbital motion due to the effects of solar radiation and gravity. These structures gradually form new striae in the dust tail. The near-periodic spacing of the striae may be indicative of outgassing activity modulation due to the comet nucleus rotation. It is, however, unclear whether all striae are formed as a result of this process.
Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are the main driver of Space Weather. Therefore, a precise forecasting of their likely geo-effectiveness relies on an accurate tracking of their morphological and kinematical evolution throughout the interplanetary mediu
m. However, single view-point observations require many assumptions to model the development of the features of CMEs, the most common hypotheses were those of radial propagation and self-similar expansion. The use of different view-points shows that at least for some cases, those assumptions are no longer valid. From radial propagation, typical attributes that can now been confirmed to exist are; over-expansion, and/or rotation along the propagation axis. Understanding of the 3D development and evolution of the CME features will help to establish the connection between remote and in-situ observations, and hence help forecast Space Weather. We present an analysis of the morphological and kinematical evolution of a STEREO B-directed CME on 2009 August 25-27. By means of a comprehensive analysis of remote imaging observations provided by SOHO, STEREO and SDO missions, and in-situ measurements recorded by Wind, ACE, and MESSENGER, we prove in this paper that the event exhibits signatures of deflection, which are usually associated to changes in the direction of propagation and/or also with rotation. The interaction with other magnetic obstacles could act as a catalyst of deflection or rotation effects. We propose, also, a method to investigate the change of the CME Tilt from the analysis of height-time direct measurements. If this method is validated in further work, it may have important implications for space weather studies because it will allow infer ICME orientation.
Magnetic flux ropes play a central role in the physics of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). Although a flux rope topology is inferred for the majority of coronagraphic observations of CMEs, a heated debate rages on whether the flux ropes pre-exist or wh
ether they are formed on-the-fly during the eruption. Here, we present a detailed analysis of Extreme Ultraviolet observations of the formation of a flux rope during a confined flare followed about seven hours later by the ejection of the flux rope and an eruptive flare. The two flares occurred during 18 and 19 July 2012. The second event unleashed a fast (> 1000 km/s) CME. We present the first direct evidence of a fast CME driven by the prior formation and destabilization of a coronal magnetic flux rope formed during the confined flare on 18 July.
The study of fast, eruptive events in the low solar corona is one of the science objectives of the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) imagers on the recently launched Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which take full disk images in ten wavelengths wi
th arcsecond resolution and 12 sec cadence. We study with AIA the formation of an impulsive coronal mass ejection (CME) which occurred on June 13, 2010 and was associated with an M1.0 class flare. Specifically, we analyze the formation of the CME EUV bubble and its initial dynamics and thermal evolution in the low corona using AIA images in three wavelengths (171, 193 and 211 A). We derive the first ultra-high cadence measurements of the temporal evolution of the CME bubble aspect ratio (=bubble-height/bubble-radius). Our main result is that the CME formation undergoes three phases: it starts with a slow self-similar expansion followed by a fast but short-lived (~ 70 sec) period of strong lateral over-expansion which essentially creates the CME. Then the CME undergoes another phase of self-similar expansion until it exits the AIA field of view. During the studied interval, the CME height-time profile shows a strong, short-lived, acceleration followed by deceleration. The lateral overexpansion phase coincides with the deceleration phase. The impulsive flare heating and CME acceleration are closely coupled. However, the lateral overexpansion of the CME occurs during the declining phase and is therefore not linked to flare reconnection. In addition, the multi-thermal analysis of the bubble does not show significant evidence of temperature change.
