Did the July 2012 solar events cause a "tsunami" throughout the heliosphere, heliosheath, and into the interstellar medium?

Abstract

The July 2012 major solar events gave rise to manifestations observed at many longitudes/latitudes/radial locations throughout the heliosphere, heliosheath, and into the interstellar medium. For these solar events we present our initial results at 1 AU from our HAFSS (Hakamada-Akasofu-Fry Source Surface) three-dimensional time-dependent kinematic modeling. Our simulations, using Wang-Sheeley-Arge maps and solar event observations, start at 2.5 RS from the center of the Sun. We use both the quiescent background solar conditions and the solar events (e.g., coronal mass ejections (CMEs)) as inputs and propagate outward. We compare HAFSS predictions with in situ spacecraft measurements and conclude that the July 2012 solar events caused a metaphorical "tsunami" in the plasma and magnetic field throughout the heliosphere/heliosheath/interstellar medium. The simulations show evidence of shocks, interaction regions, and rarefaction regions in the inner heliosphere (1 AU) and shocks, global merged interaction regions (GMIRs) and rarefaction regions in the heliosheath. The shocks/interaction regions/GMIRs and the rarefaction regions are, respectively, analogous to the tsunami "crests" and "troughs". To provide important insights into 3-D processes, we simulated 1 AU observations (STEREO A and ACE) and observations at Voyager 2 (V2) and Voyager 1 (V1) far off the ecliptic plane: V2 at ~ 30°S, 217° longitude, and 102 AU; V1 at 34°N, 174° longitude, and 124 AU. HAFSS successfully predicted observed CME arrival times at 1 AU. Our results for this tsunami are the first simulations for these events in the distant V2/V1 radial/latitudinal/longitudinal regions based on 3-D time-dependent modeling originating at the Sun.