Solar & Stellar Group Research

Magnetic Coupling in the Heliosphere

Many strands of research are undertaken within the Solar & Stellar Physics group at MSSL under these general area. Projects mainly fall into one of the following four areas:

• Triggering and Evolution of Solar Eruptions
• Solar Wind Formation
• Emergence & Evolution of Solar Magnetic Fields
• Sun-Earth Connection

Triggering & Evolution of Solar Eruptions

Solar Wind Formation

Emergence & Evolution of Solar Magnetic Fields

Sun-Earth Connection

Flux Rope Formation Prior to CME OnsetEvolution of the sigmoid of this active region provides clear evidence that a flux rope formed before the CME occurred and not at its onset.

Green & Kliem, Astrophys. J. Letters, 700, L83, 2009.

Forming a Flux Rope from a Magnetic ArcadeFieldline reconnection between the legs of magnetic arcades generates or augment flux ropes, highlighted by changes in sigmoid tomography.

Tripathi et al., Astrophys. J. Letters, 698, L27-L32, 2009.

Rotating Erupting FilamentsTwist stored in the form of helicity in filaments can be converted into writhe as these large structures erupt, resulting in their rotation.

Green et al., Solar Physics, 246, 365-391, 2007.

Explaining fast and slow CMEsSimulations reveal that the acceleration of a CME will be determined by the fall in strength with height of any overlying magnetic field.

Torok & Kliem, Astron. Nachr., 328, 743-746, 2007.

Coronal "Waves" are Footprints of CMEsRotational direction of waves are consistent with helicity-sense of source active regions, implying magnetic link between wave and CME.

Attrill et al., Astrophys. J. Letters, 656, L101-L104, 2007.

CMEs: Local Initiation but Far-Reaching EffectsLateral expansion of CMEs generates successive reconnections with the environment so increasing the impact zone of the CME.

van Driel-Gesztelyi et al., Ann. Geophys., 26, 3077-3088, 2008.

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