Coronal Mass Ejection

Extracted Attributes

• Type

  Expulsion of plasma and magnetic field

• Origin

  Sun's corona

• Mechanism

  Highly twisted magnetic field structures (flux ropes) become stressed, realign (magnetic reconnection), and release energy

• Appearance

  Huge, twisted rope (flux rope)

• Composition

  Plasma mass, intense magnetic field lines, highly charged particles

• Speed Range

  Slower than 250 km/s to near 3000 km/s

• Associated Phenomena

  Solar flares (often, but not always)

• Frequency (Solar Maximum)

  About three CMEs daily

• Frequency (Solar Minimum)

  About one CME every five days

• Typical Travel Time to Earth (CME arrival)

  1 to 3 days

• Fastest Travel Time to Earth (shock arrival)

  15 to 60 minutes

Timeline

• The Carrington Event, the largest recorded geomagnetic perturbation presumably from a CME, disabled parts of the newly created United States telegraph network, causing fires and electrically shocking some operators. (Source: User Summary, Wikipedia)

  1859-09-01

• G5-level Solar Storms, caused by massive Coronal Mass Ejections, occurred, highlighting the potential threat to electron-based infrastructure. (Source: User Summary, Related Documents)

  Recent

Coronal mass ejection

A coronal mass ejection (CME) is a significant ejection of plasma mass from the Sun's corona into the heliosphere. CMEs are often associated with solar flares and other forms of solar activity, but a broadly accepted theoretical understanding of these relationships has not been established. If a CME enters interplanetary space, it is sometimes referred to as an interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME). ICMEs are capable of reaching and colliding with Earth's magnetosphere, where they can cause geomagnetic storms, aurorae, and in rare cases damage to electrical power grids. The largest recorded geomagnetic perturbation, resulting presumably from a CME, was the solar storm of 1859. Also known as the Carrington Event, it disabled parts of the newly created United States telegraph network, starting fires and electrically shocking some telegraph operators. Near solar maxima, the Sun produces about three CMEs every day, whereas near solar minima, there is about one CME every five days.

Web Search Results

• Coronal mass ejections - Space Technology 5 - NASA

  | Coronal Mass Ejections on the Sun | | | Coronal Mass Ejection | | Source: BBC News Online. --- | Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are huge bubbles of coronal plasma threaded by intense magnetic field lines that are ejected from the Sun over the course of several hours. CMEs often look like huge, twisted rope, which scientists call "flux rope." CMEs often occur along with solar flares (explosions on the Sun's surface), but they can also occur spontaneously. The frequency of CMEs varies [...] | | | | | --- | Coronal Mass Ejections on the Sun | | | Coronal Mass Ejection | | Source: BBC News Online. --- | Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are huge bubbles of coronal plasma threaded by intense magnetic field lines that are ejected from the Sun over the course of several hours. CMEs often look like huge, twisted rope, which scientists call "flux rope." CMEs often occur along with solar flares (explosions on the Sun's surface), but they can also occur spontaneously. The frequency [...] | --- | Coronal Mass Ejections on the Sun | | | Coronal Mass Ejection | | Source: BBC News Online. --- | Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are huge bubbles of coronal plasma threaded by intense magnetic field lines that are ejected from the Sun over the course of several hours. CMEs often look like huge, twisted rope, which scientists call "flux rope." CMEs often occur along with solar flares (explosions on the Sun's surface), but they can also occur spontaneously. The frequency of CMEs

• Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) - NSO

  Coronal Mass Ejections, or CMEs, are explosive bursts of solar plasma and magnetic field that fly away from the Sun at thousands of kilometers an hour. CMEs are frequently (but not always) associated with solar flares. These eruptions occur when large, looming coronal loops or filaments (gases trapped by magnetic fields, a bit like iron filings) are buffeted or disturbed in some way. This causes the whole loop system to become unstable, so the trapped material can burst free, dragging some of [...] CMEs are most common during solar maximum during times when the sunspot cycle is most active. Sometimes Earth lies in the path of a Coronal Mass Ejection. Because they contain highly charged particles, CMEs can be dangerous to astronauts and cause serious damage to satellites. However, they can also cause the most spectacular lightshow on earth – the aurorae! [...] The fast-moving CMEs can, if they are in the correct orientation, actually force the Earth’s magnetic field to restructure itself. This restructuring (called magnetic reconnection) energizes particles in space, launching them along the Earth’s magnetic field towards the poles. Once they hit the Earth’s atmosphere, which appears like a brick wall to these particles, they come to a screeching halt, dumping their excess energy into the atmosphere. This extra energy causes the Earth’s atmosphere to

• Coronal Mass Ejections - Space Weather Prediction Center

  Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are large expulsions of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun’s corona. They can eject billions of tons of coronal material and carry an embedded magnetic field (frozen in flux) that is stronger than the background solar wind interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) strength. CMEs travel outward from the Sun at speeds ranging from slower than 250 kilometers per second (km/s) to as fast as near 3000 km/s. The fastest Earth-directed CMEs can reach our planet in as little [...] The more explosive CMEs generally begin when highly twisted magnetic field structures (flux ropes) contained in the Sun’s lower corona become too stressed and realign into a less tense configuration – a process called magnetic reconnection. This can result in the sudden release of electromagnetic energy in the form of a solar flare; which typically accompanies the explosive acceleration of plasma away from the Sun – the CME. These types of CMEs usually take place from areas of the Sun with [...] Imminent CME arrival is first observed by the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) satellite, located at the L1 orbital area. Sudden increases in density, total interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) strength, and solar wind speed at the DSCOVR spacecraft indicate arrival of the CME-associated interplanetary shock ahead of the magnetic cloud. This can often provide 15 to 60 minutes advanced warning of shock arrival at Earth – and any possible sudden impulse or sudden storm commencement; as

• Coronal mass ejection

  13. ^ Howard, Timothy A.; Harrison, Richard A. (July 2013). "Stealth Coronal Mass Ejections: A Perspective". Solar Physics. 285 (1–2): 269–280. Bibcode "Bibcode (identifier)"):2013SoPh..285..269H. doi "Doi (identifier)"):10.1007/s11207-012-0217-0. S2CID "S2CID (identifier)") 255067586. [...] 19. ^ Gopalswamy, N. (January 2003). "Coronal mass ejections: Initiation and detection" (PDF). Advances in Space Research. 31 (4): 869–881. Bibcode "Bibcode (identifier)"):2003AdSpR..31..869G. doi "Doi (identifier)"):10.1016/S0273-1177(02)00888-8. Retrieved 27 August 2021. [...] 1. ^ a b Webb, David F.; Howard, Timothy A. (2012). "Coronal Mass Ejections: Observations". Living Reviews in Solar Physics. 9 (1): 3. Bibcode "Bibcode (identifier)"):2012LRSP....9....3W. doi "Doi (identifier)"):10.12942/lrsp-2012-3. S2CID "S2CID (identifier)") 124744655.

• Ground Effects of Space Weather

  During times of heightened space weather, intense solar flares and associated plasma clouds are expelled from the Sun. Known as coronal mass ejections (CME), these magnetic clouds can sometimes head directly towards the Earth hitting the Earth's magnetosphere around 1-3 days later. This will result in a geomagnetic storm.

• Instance Of

  Q7433680