Evolution of the Shock Properties of the 2023 March 13 Event from In-Situ and Remote-Sensing Data

TL;DR

This study analyzes the evolution and properties of a CME-driven shock from the Sun to interplanetary space using remote sensing and in-situ data, revealing non-homogeneous shock features and their evolution.

Contribution

It introduces a multi-spacecraft analysis combining remote sensing and in-situ data to model shock geometry and evolution of shock parameters during a CME event.

Findings

Significant non-homogeneities in shock compression ratio around the shock front.

Shock parameters like Mach number increase with radial distance from the Sun.

Shock properties remain nearly constant near the Sun but evolve significantly further out.

Abstract

Shocks driven by coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are the most powerful accelerators of gradual solar energetic particles (SEPs) in the inner heliosphere. On 2023 March 13, a halo CME, as seen from the Solar Heliospheric Observatory (SoHO) and the Sun TErrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO), gave rise to a strong SEP event. In this work, we aim to analyze this CME-driven shock from multiple spacecraft, using both remote sensing observations from STEREO-A/COR2 and in-situ data from Parker Solar Probe (PSP), Solar Orbiter (SolO), and Wind. In order to determine its direction of propagation and kinematic properties, we model the shock geometry using STEREO-A/COR2 and SoHO/LASCO/C3 observations as an expanding ellipsoid. The density compression ratio of the shock is determined by fitting the brightness profile from the coronagraphic images with that obtained from raytracing simulations of a double-Gaussian shock density profile. We compare physical quantities such as compression ratio and Alfv\'enic Mach number derived from remote sensing observations with in-situ measurements by PSP, SolO, STEREO-A, and Wind. From STEREO-A/COR2, we determine the compression ratio around the entire shock front in the corona, finding significant non-homogeneities that can impact the values found during in-situ crossings. Following the evolution of the parameters characterizing the CME from the source to space, we find that closer to the Sun, both the gas compression ratio and the Alfv\'enic Mach number remain almost constant, while they increase at larger radial distances. This indicates a non-trivial evolution of the shock parameters during its journey through the interplanetary space.