Ensemble Simulations of Coronal Mass Ejections in Interplanetary Space with Elliptical Cone Models

TL;DR

This study uses ensemble simulations with elliptical cone models to analyze how CME shape relates to speed, revealing that faster CMEs tend to be more circular due to stronger early expansion forces.

Contribution

The paper introduces a method to determine the optimal elliptical cone shape for CMEs based on their speed, enhancing modeling accuracy.

Findings

Fast CMEs have higher elliptical aspect ratios (more circular).

Slower CMEs tend to be more flattened.

Velocity-dependent shape behavior linked to Lorentz force variations.

Abstract

The estimation of CME arrival time strongly depends on the CME propagation models in interplanetary space and the geometrical aspects of the CME model. We conducted ensemble simulations of CMEs propagation with various elliptical cone shapes to study the relation between the CME speed and the optimum cone shape. We numerically searched for the best elliptical aspect ratio of the elliptical cone for each CME in our CME-ICME pair data. We found that the fast CMEs tend to have a higher elliptical aspect ratio (more circular) than the slower CMEs (flattened). Our results suggest that a fast CME gives a stronger push to all directions, which results in a more circular shape of the leading-edge. We believe that this velocity-dependent behavior is related to the different Lorentz force strengths during the early expansion of a CME.