Abstract
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH,
VOL. 114,
A04102,
19 PP., 2009
doi:10.1029/2008JA013657
Multispacecraft recovery of a magnetic cloud and its origin from magnetic reconnection on the Sun
Institute of Physics, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz, Austria
Space Science Center and Department of Physics, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz, Austria
Institute of Physics, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Space Science Center and Department of Physics, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
Theoretical Physics Division, Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Institute for Astro‐ and Particle Physics, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
Geospace Physics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
Institute of Physics, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Institute of Physics, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz, Austria
Multipoint spacecraft observations of a magnetic cloud on 22 May 2007 have given us the opportunity to apply a multispacecraft technique to infer the structure of this large‐scale magnetic flux rope in the solar wind. Combining WIND and STEREO‐B magnetic field and plasma measurements, we construct a combined magnetic field map by integrating the Grad‐Shafranov equation, this being one of the very first applications of this technique in the interplanetary context. From this we obtain robust results on the shape of the cross section, the orientation and magnetic fluxes of the cloud. The only slightly “flattened” shape is discussed with respect to its heliospheric environment and theoretical expectations. We also relate these results to observations of the solar source region and its associated two‐ribbon flare on 19 May 2007, using Hα images from the Kanzelhöhe observatory, SOHO/MDI magnetograms and SECCHI/EUVI 171 Å images. We find a close correspondence between the magnetic flux reconnected in the flare and the poloidal flux of the magnetic cloud. The axial flux of the cloud agrees with the prediction of a recent 3‐D finite sheared arcade model to within a factor of 2, which is evidence for formation of at least half of the magnetic flux of the ejected flux rope during the eruption. We outline the relevance of this result to models of coronal mass ejection initiation, and find that to explain the solar and interplanetary observations elements from sheared arcade as well as erupting‐flux‐rope models are needed.
Received 31 July 2008; accepted 19 January 2009; published 10 April 2009.
Citation: (2009), Multispacecraft recovery of a magnetic cloud and its origin from magnetic reconnection on the Sun, J. Geophys. Res., 114, A04102, doi:10.1029/2008JA013657.
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