Simulating Interactions Between Coronal Mass Ejections

Authors

Damen S. Beverlin, Macalester CollegeFollow
Tatiana Niembro, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoFollow

Abstract

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) launch large amounts of plasma and magnetic fields into the interplanetary medium. Under the right initial conditions, this ejecta can reach Earth and cause issues with electronic devices. As such, we would like to have an accurate model that depicts how these CMEs propagate as they leave the sun. By using fluid dynamics and one-minute resolution in-situ solar wind data, we sought to simulate CME plasma propagation with analytical and numerical models. Because the interstellar medium contains other material and other events happen on the sun simultaneously, CMEs can interact with each other and other ejecta, which can cause them to change, so in order to have an accurate simulation we considered these interactions in our model. For our model, we made the assumption that the plasma was an ideal fluid, was super-alfvenic, and we employed an injection radius of 10 R⦿.

Streaming Media

Recommended Citation

Beverlin, Damen S. and Niembro, Tatiana (2022) "Simulating Interactions Between Coronal Mass Ejections," Macalester Journal of Physics and Astronomy: Vol. 10: Iss. 1, Article 3.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/mjpa/vol10/iss1/3