Eastward deflection of fast coronal mass ejecta in interplanetary space

Journal Article · Sun Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1987 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA092iA11p12399· OSTI ID:5716745

Gosling, J T; Thomsen, M F; Bame, S J; Zwickl, R D

Previous work has shown that a bidirectional solar wind electron heat flux is one of the more prominent signatures of a coronal mass ejection event in the solar wind at 1 AU. Using ISEE 3 solar wind electron measurements obtained during 1978 and 1979, we have used this signature to identify the fast coronal mass ejecta driving 19 interplanetary shocks. In 17 of the 19 shock events an eastward deflection of the ejection plasma (apparent arrival from west of the sun) was observed. The average eastward deflection for all of the events was approx.3/sup 0/, corresponding to a typical transverse velocity of approx.25 km/s. Usually an oppositely directed (i.e., westward) flow deflection of comparable magnitude was observed within the compressed ambient plasma ahead of the ejecta. The sense of these deflections: first westward within the compressed ambient plasma and then eastward within the ejecta: is the same as is observed near the leading edges of quasi-stationary, corotating high speed streams. However, in contrast to the case of corotating streams, the west-east flow reversal does not coincide with a local maximum in static pressure. No consistent flow deflection pattern perpendicular to the ecliptic has been observed for these events, and no similar deflections have been observed for ejecta (bidirectional electron heat flux events) traveling at the same speed as or slower than the ambient plasma ahead. We suggest that the preferred eastward deflection of these fast coronal mass ejecta is a consequence of solar rotation and the spiral geometry of the ambient solar wind. copyright American Geophysical Union 1987

• Research Organization: University of California, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico
• OSTI ID: 5716745
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 92:A11; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640104* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Solar Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ATMOSPHERES
COMPRESSIBLE FLOW
ELECTRON DRIFT
ELECTRON EMISSION
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EMISSION
FERMIONS
FLUID FLOW
FLUX DENSITY
HEAT FLUX
INSTABILITY
INTERPLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELDS
LEPTONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MASS
PLASMA DRIFT
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MICROINSTABILITIES
RADIATION STREAMING
RADIATIONS
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR CORONA
SOLAR ELECTRONS
SOLAR PARTICLES
SOLAR RADIATION
SOLAR WIND
STELLAR ATMOSPHERES
STELLAR CORONAE
STELLAR RADIATION
TWO-STREAM INSTABILITY