Interplanetary Magnetic Flux Ropes as Agents Connecting Solar Eruptions and Geomagnetic Activities

• Published in: Solar physics 2017-12, Vol.292 (12), p.1-28, Article 189
• Main Authors: Marubashi, K., Cho, K.-S., Ishibashi, H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Astrophysics and Astroparticles; Atmospheric Sciences; Chirality; Corona; Earth; Earth-affecting Solar Transients; Fluctuations; Geomagnetism; Handedness; Helicity; International studies; Interplanetary magnetic field; Interplanetary space; Magnetic fields; Magnetic flux; Magnetism; Orientation; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Polarity; Solar magnetic field; Solar physics; Solar wind; Solar wind structure; Southern Hemisphere; Space Exploration and Astronautics; Space Sciences (including Extraterrestrial Physics; Wind structure
• ISSN: 0038-0938; 1573-093X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11207-017-1204-2

We investigate the solar wind structure for 11 cases that were selected for the campaign study promoted by the International Study of Earth-affecting Solar Transients (ISEST) MiniMax24 Working Group 4. We can identify clear flux rope signatures in nine cases. The geometries of the nine interplanetary magnetic flux ropes (IFRs) are examined with a model-fitting analysis with cylindrical and toroidal force-free flux rope models. For seven cases in which magnetic fields in the solar source regions were observed, we compare the IFR geometries with magnetic structures in their solar source regions. As a result, we can confirm the coincidence between the IFR orientation and the orientation of the magnetic polarity inversion line (PIL) for six cases, as well as the so-called helicity rule as regards the handedness of the magnetic chirality of the IFR, depending on which hemisphere of the Sun the IFR originated from, the northern or southern hemisphere; namely, the IFR has right-handed (left-handed) magnetic chirality when it is formed in the southern (northern) hemisphere of the Sun. The relationship between the orientation of IFRs and PILs can be taken as evidence that the flux rope structure created in the corona is in most cases carried through interplanetary space with its orientation maintained. In order to predict magnetic field variations on Earth from observations of solar eruptions, further studies are needed about the propagation of IFRs because magnetic fields observed at Earth significantly change depending on which part of the IFR hits the Earth.