Development of a formalism for computing transits of Earth-directed CMEs, plasma sheaths, and shocks. Towards a forecasting tool
Interplanetary Coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) (super-magnetosonically) faster than the ambient solar wind are preceded by shock waves. Earth-directed shock waves, plasma sheaths and ICMEs are precursors of the major geomagnetic storms. The plasma sheath between the shock and the ICME leading edge pl...
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| Format: | article |
| Status: | Published version |
| Publication Date: | 2016 |
| Country: | Ecuador |
| Institution: | Universidad de Cuenca |
| Repository: | Repositorio Universidad de Cuenca |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:dspace.ucuenca.edu.ec:123456789/28950 |
| Online Access: | https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84961356319&doi=10.1016%2fj.asr.2016.01.009&partnerID=40&md5=767bdda6fec4f659b34dceb241bcb08d http://dspace.ucuenca.edu.ec/handle/123456789/28950 |
| Access Level: | Open access |
| Keyword: | Coronal Mass Ejections Interplanetary Shocks Solar Wind Space Weather |
| Summary: | Interplanetary Coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) (super-magnetosonically) faster than the ambient solar wind are preceded by shock waves. Earth-directed shock waves, plasma sheaths and ICMEs are precursors of the major geomagnetic storms. The plasma sheath between the shock and the ICME leading edge plays a very important role to determine the geoeffectiveness of the events. There are multiple efforts (empirical, analytical and numerical) to forecast ICME–shock transit times and arrival speeds to 1 AU. We present a formalism (combining analytical and empirical solutions) to compute trajectories of fast halo Earth directed ICMEs, plasma sheaths, and shocks. This formalism combines the ‘piston-shock’ semi-empirical model (Corona-Romero et al., 2013), and the MHD polytropic jump relations (Petrinec and Russell, 1997) to approximate the 1 AU plasma sheath and ICME properties. Nine Earth directed ICME–shock cases, including the “Bastille” and “Halloween” events were analyzed. The model obtained compares well with in situ data. Finally, we found a possible empiric relation for the free parameter of our formalism. If this empiric relationship is confirmed, it could turn this formalism into a space weather forecasting tool. |
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