HR: 14:10h
AN: SH23B-03    [Abstracts]
TI: Exploring the solar origin of interplanetary magnetic flux ropes
AU: Qiu, J
EM: qiu@physics.montana.edu
AF: Physics Department Montana State University, MSU Physics EPS 264, Bozeman, MT 59717,
AU: * Hu, Q
EM: qiang.hu@ucr.edu
AF: IGPP/UCR, University California at Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521,
AB: In this study, we explore the solar origin of interplanetary magnetic flux ropes observed as Magnetic Clouds (MCs) at 1~AU, namely, whether flux ropes are primarily created by magnetic reconnection in the Sun's corona at the onset of Coronal Mass Ejections, or have emerged from below the photosphere and are pre-existing before the eruption. We compared the magnetic flux in toroidal (total flux) and poloidal (total twist) components in the MC with the total reconnected flux measured from flare and magnetic field observations at the source region of the MC. We find that the poloidal MC flux and reconnection flux are scaled and correlated in a dozen events with suitable solar and interplanetary observations. The result suggests that flux ropes may be primarily created by low-corona reconnection on the Sun in these events. We also discuss interaction between flux ropes and large-scale coronal magnetic field upon eruption.
DE: 2101 Coronal mass ejections (7513)
DE: 2111 Ejecta, driver gases, and magnetic clouds
DE: 7519 Flares
DE: 7835 Magnetic reconnection (2723, 7526)
SC: SPA-Solar and Heliospheric Physics [SH]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting