HR: 1330h
AN: SH22A-0191    [PDF]
TI: Multiple Flux-Rope Magnetic Ejecta in the Solar Wind: Separated Flux Ropes
AU: Hu, Q
EM: huqiang@bartol.udel.edu
AF: Bartol Research Institute, 217 Sharp Lab., University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716 United States
AU: * Smith, C W
EM: Charles.Smith@unh.edu
AF: Department of Physics and Space Science Center, Institute for Earth, Oceans and Space, Morse Hall, 39 College Road, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824 United States
AU: Ness, N F
EM: nfness@bxclu.bartol.udel.edu
AF: Bartol Research Institute, 217 Sharp Lab., University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716 United States
AB: Recent studies (Hu et al., 2003a,b) have shown that multiple flux-rope configuration of magnetic ejecta in the solar wind at 1 AU is not rare. Those authors examined ACE magnetic and plasma data for the years 1998-2000. They found about 4 double flux-rope ejecta events and 1 triplet among 31 events which were identified by primarily looking at magnetic field measurement for flux rope signatures. The data analysis technique employed is capable of generating a two and a half dimensional cross-section of the structure convecting past the spacecraft by solving the plane Grad-Shafranov equation directly utilizing spacecraft data as spatial initial input. The results showed multiple non-axisymmetric cylindrical flux ropes nested within a boundary surface. They were assumed to have exactly the same axis orientation. Further analysis will be carried out by examining the individual flux rope in a multiple rope system separately. The individual field line twist and relative orientation between flux-rope axes will be reported. Implications of X-point formation in a presumably twisted multiple flux-rope system will be discussed. Multi-spacecraft validation of these results will be presented. Possible solar connections of these systems, such as the comparison of the signs of magnetic helicity, will be explored.
DE: 2111 Ejecta, driver gases, and magnetic clouds
DE: 2134 Interplanetary magnetic fields
DE: 2164 Solar wind plasma
DE: 7513 Coronal mass ejections
DE: 7843 Numerical simulation studies
SC: SPA - Solar and Heliospheric Physics [SH]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting