A data-constrained three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulation model for a coronal mass ejection initiation

Abstract

In this study, we present a three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic model based on an observed eruptive twisted flux rope (sigmoid) deduced from solar vector magnetograms. This model is a combination of our two very well tested MHD models: (i) data-driven 3-D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) active region evolution (MHD-DARE) model for the reconstruction of the observed flux rope and (ii) 3-D MHD global coronal-heliosphere evolution (MHD-GCHE) model to track the propagation of the observed flux rope. The 6 September 2011, AR11283, event is used to test this model. First, the formation of the flux rope (sigmoid) from AR11283 is reproduced by the MHD-DARE model with input from the measured vector magnetograms given by Solar Dynamics Observatory/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager. Second, these results are used as the initial boundary condition for our MHD-GCHE model for the initiation of a coronal mass ejection (CME) as observed. The model output indicates that the flux rope resulting from MHD-DARE produces the physical properties of a CME, and the morphology resembles the observations made by STEREO/COR-1.