SHINE: Core and Large Scale Magnetic Structure of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs)

The principal investigator (PI) proposes to systematically study large-scale solar magnetic structures and their evolution associated with coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Although most of the objectives will be accomplished with data on hand, the study will be aided significantly by new observational tools, such as the newly developed imaging magnetograph systems in the visible and near-infrared (NIR) at Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO) and upcoming vector magnetograms to be provided by the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO) and Solar-B spacecraft. The study of large-scale structure will use data from BBSO's six-station high-resolution Global Ha Network, full disk images from SOHO, and in the future, SDO. The proposed study focuses on solar properties of CMEs and related phenomena, including their ultimate origin, precursors, and near-Sun evolution. First, the PI will observe CMEs and flares as full disk events and integrate several aspects of the large-scale signature of eruptions, to map out the initiation and subsequent disturbances of the flare/CME eruptions. These large-scale signatures include Ha remote brightenings, remote filament activations, Moreton waves, and large-scale coronal dimmings. Large-scale magnetic topology will be derived based on this analysis. Second, the proposers will quantitatively analyze the rapid changes of magnetic fields associated with the core region of flares and CMEs, using vector magnetograms from BBSO, SDO and Solar-B. These studies will include analysis of spectroscopic properties of changing sunspot structure, as well as 3-D extrapolation of magnetic field structure before and after the eruptive events. Third, the PI's team will compare observations with a few well-cited theoretical flare/CME models to critically test them. This proposal also has an education component, given that a student will obtain his Ph.D. during the tenure of this grant and continue as a post-doc to finish the project.