Simulation of homologous and cannibalistic Coronal Mass Ejections produced by the emergence of a twisted flux rope into the Solar Corona

Abstract

We report the first results of a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation of the development of a homologous sequence of three coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and demonstrate their so-called cannibalistic behavior. These CMEs originate from the repeated formations and partial eruptions of kink unstable flux ropes as a result of continued emergence of a twisted flux rope across the lower boundary into a pre-existing coronal potential arcade field. The simulation shows that a CME erupting into the open magnetic field created by a preceding CME has a higher speed. The second of the three successive CMEs simulated is cannibalistic catching up and merging with the first into a single fast CME before exiting the domain. All the CMEs including the leading merged CME, attained speeds of about 1000 km/s as they exit the domain. The reformation of a twisted flux rope after each CME eruption during the sustained flux emergence can naturally explain the X-ray observations of repeated reformations of sigmoids and "sigmoid-under-cusp" configurations at a low-coronal source of homologous CMEs.

4 figures, Expanded acronyms in the title in v3 to match that of the ApJ Letter version, Replaced Fig. 2 after correcting y-axes by a factor of 4π