Sun  ID: 4699

The CME Heard 'Round the Solar System

Visualizations by Tom Bridgman Released on November 30, 2018
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As the CMEs and SIRs move through the solar system, we include graphs of particle fluxes measured at Earth, Mars, and STEREO-A.
Energetic events at the Sun can reverberate around the solar system.

This visualization combines data from particle detectors around the solar system with an Enlil simulation of multiple coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in early September 2017. The Enlil model extends from 0.1 astronomical units (AUs) from the Sun (this is reponsible for the empty region around the Sun at the center of the system) out to 5 AUs.

Stream Interaction Regions (SIRs) are created by the interaction at boundaries between the fast and slow solar wind (usually defined by coronal holes). In this model, they are represented by blue spirals streaming out from the sun at the center.

Active Region 12673 erupted with several X-class flares and CMEs on September 9-10, 2017. The initial CME was slow (500 km/s) and the subsequent CMEs were faster (1000 km/s and 2600 km/s, respectively). Eventually the CMEs merged together and continued outward.

At Earth, the particle detector on GOES detects the initial flare. The energetic proton flux decays with time and has a sharper decrease as the CME and SIR pass Earth.

The initial flare is also detected at Mars by Mars EXpress, after which the flux declines. The flux experiences an additional sharp drop as the CME passes Mars.

There is a small flux increase at STEREO-A at the time of the flare. However, the flux increases dramatically as the SIR passes, then slowly decays.
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First frame of the visualization, illustrating regions of high temperature (red), high particle density (green), and the stream interaction region (SIR, blue).
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Color bar representing changes in plasma density, in atomic mass units (AMU) per cubic centimeter. This is roughly equal to the number of hydrogen ions per cubic centimeter.
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Color bar representing the plasma temperature.

Visualization Credits

Tom Bridgman (GST): Lead Visualizer
M. Leila Mays (NASA/GSFC): Scientist
Mara Johnson-Groh (Wyle Information Systems): Lead Writer
Laurence Schuler (ADNET Systems Inc.): Technical Support
Ian Jones (ADNET Systems Inc.): Technical Support
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio and the Community-Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC), Enlil and Dusan Odstrcil (GMU).

Science Paper:
Modeling the Evolution and Propagation of 10 September 2017 CMEs and SEPs Arriving at Mars Constrained by Remote Sensing and In Situ Measurement

Short URL to share this page:
http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4699

Data Used:
Enlil Heliospheric Model 2017/09/04 - 2017/09/24
STEREO-A/High Energy Telescope (HET) 2017/09/10 - 2017/09/17
Mars EXpress (MEX)/ASPERA 2017/09/10 - 2017/09/17
GOES/Energetic Particle Sensor (EPS) 2017/09/10 - 2017/09/17
Note: While we identify the data sets used in these visualizations, we do not store any further details nor the data sets themselves on our site.

Keywords:
SVS >> Mars
SVS >> Solar Wind
SVS >> Sun
SVS >> Space Weather
SVS >> Hyperwall
SVS >> GOES
SVS >> Heliophysics
SVS >> STEREO
SVS >> Corona
NASA Science >> Sun
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Sun-earth Interactions >> Solar Activity >> Coronal Mass Ejections
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Sun-earth Interactions >> Solar Energetic Particle Flux

GCMD keywords can be found on the Internet with the following citation: Olsen, L.M., G. Major, K. Shein, J. Scialdone, S. Ritz, T. Stevens, M. Morahan, A. Aleman, R. Vogel, S. Leicester, H. Weir, M. Meaux, S. Grebas, C.Solomon, M. Holland, T. Northcutt, R. A. Restrepo, R. Bilodeau, 2013. NASA/Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Earth Science Keywords. Version 8.0.0.0.0