Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences (May 2022)

Eruption and Interplanetary Evolution of a Stealthy Streamer-Blowout CME Observed by PSP at ∼0.5 AU

  • Sanchita Pal,
  • Benjamin J. Lynch,
  • Simon W. Good,
  • Erika Palmerio,
  • Eleanna Asvestari,
  • Jens Pomoell,
  • Michael L. Stevens,
  • Emilia K. J. Kilpua

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2022.903676
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9

Abstract

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Streamer-blowout coronal mass ejections (SBO-CMEs) are the dominant CME population during solar minimum. Although they are typically slow and lack clear low-coronal signatures, they can cause geomagnetic storms. With the aid of extrapolated coronal fields and remote observations of the off-limb low corona, we study the initiation of an SBO-CME preceded by consecutive CME eruptions consistent with a multi-stage sympathetic breakout scenario. From inner-heliospheric Parker Solar Probe (PSP) observations, it is evident that the SBO-CME is interacting with the heliospheric magnetic field and plasma sheet structures draped about the CME flux rope. We estimate that 18 ± 11% of the CME’s azimuthal magnetic flux has been eroded through magnetic reconnection and that this erosion began after a heliospheric distance of ∼0.35 AU from the Sun was reached. This observational study has important implications for understanding the initiation of SBO-CMEs and their interaction with the heliospheric surroundings.

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