arXiv subjects

Michal Ben-Nun

Publications and source records attributed to Michal Ben-Nun.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

On the 3D Magnetic Structure of Coronal Mass Ejections Through the Solar Corona

The magnetic fields that make up the internal structure of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are thought to be organised in a flux rope configuration, consisting of twisted magnetic fields that wind about a central axis. Remote-sensing observations of CMEs show a wide range of morphologies, dynamics, and evolution, including rotation, non-uniform expansion, deflection, and interaction with the ambient solar wind. In-situ measurements, however, typically consist of a single 1D spacecraft trajectory through a large 3D structure (or few at best), restricting our ability to determine how CME magnetic structure varies in space and time. In this work, we analyse the magnetic configuration of two idealised CMEs during their early evolution in the range 1-30 $R_{\odot}$ using the Magnetohydrodynamic Algorithm Outside a Sphere code. The initial flux ropes differ only in their orientation with respect to the global dipole and erupt from a bipolar active region below the streamer belt in a simplified coronal environment. We deploy a fleet of synthetic spacecraft throughout the CMEs' paths at different combinations of latitudes, longitudes, and heliocentric distances. We identify and examine flux rope signatures in the synthetic in-situ profiles to characterise radial variations as well as latitudinal/longitudinal ones. We find that, even in a simplified CME erupting under solar minimum-like conditions, the sampling location significantly affects the global structure that would be deduced from common flux rope reconstruction and analysis techniques used for in-situ measurements. Additionally, we consider possible in-situ signatures that may serve as indicators of the source region's topology.

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arXiv2025

Global CME-driven oscillations in the outer solar corona

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are known drivers of large-scale waves in the low corona. However, wave dynamics in the extended corona and inner heliosphere remain largely unexplored. Here, we report the first observational and numerical evidence of coherent global compressive oscillations in the outer corona and inner heliosphere, revealed by white-light SOHO/LASCO C3 data and an MHD simulation. Analyzing the CME event of 2012 July 23 using Spectral Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (SPOD), we isolate two distinct wave signatures: (1) a directional fast-mode shock-like compressive wave that dissipates completely within ~3 hours, and (2) a large-scale global circular wavefront consistent with fast-mode MHD behavior, lasting ~7 hours and extending across the LASCO C3 field of view, marking the first detection of such a global oscillation. Our findings reveal a previously unrecognized component of CME-driven wave activity, providing new constraints on the dynamics of the extended corona and inner heliosphere.

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arXiv2024

Using sunRunner3D to interpret the global structure of the heliosphere from in situ measurements

Understanding the large-scale three-dimensional structure of the inner heliosphere, while important in its own right, is crucial for space weather applications, such as forecasting the time of arrival and propagation of coronal mass ejections (CMEs). This study uses sunRunner3D (3D), a 3-D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model, to simulate solar wind (SW) streams and generate background states. SR3D employs the boundary conditions generated by CORona-HELiosphere (CORHEL) and the PLUTO code to compute the plasma properties of the SW with the MHD approximation up to 1.1 AU in the inner heliosphere. We demonstrate that SR3D reproduces global features of Corotating Interaction Regions (CIRs) observed by Earth-based spacecraft (OMNI) and the Solar TErrestial RElations Observatory (STEREO)-A for a set of Carrington rotations (CRs) that cover a period that lays in the late declining phase of solar cycle 24. Additionally, we demonstrate that the model solutions are valid in the corotating and inertial frames of references. Moreover, a comparison between SR3D simulations and in-situ measurements shows reasonable agreement with the observations, and our results are comparable to those achieved by Predictive Science Inc.'s Magnetohydrodynamic Algorithm outside a Sphere (MAS) code. We have also undertaken a comparative analysis with the Space Weather Adaptive Simulation Framework for Solar Wind (SWASTi-SW), a PLUTO physics-based model, to evaluate the precision of various initial boundary conditions. Finally, we discuss the disparities in the solutions derived from inertial and rotating frames.

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arXiv2023

Deflection of Coronal Mass Ejections in Unipolar Ambient Magnetic Fields

The trajectories of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are often seen to substantially deviate from a purely radial propagation direction. Such deviations occur predominantly in the corona and have been attributed to "channeling" or deflection of the eruptive flux by asymmetric ambient magnetic fields. Here, we investigate an additional mechanism that does not require any asymmetry of the pre-eruptive ambient field. Using magnetohydrodynamic numerical simulations, we show that the trajectory of CMEs through the solar corona can significantly deviate from a radial direction when propagation takes place in a unipolar radial field. We demonstrate that the deviation is most prominent below ~15 solar radii and can be attributed to an "effective IxB force" that arises from the intrusion of a magnetic flux rope with a net axial electric current into a unipolar background field. These results are important for predictions of CME trajectories in the context of space weather forecasts, as well as for reaching a deeper understanding of the fundamental physics underlying CME interactions with the ambient fields in the extended solar corona.

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