Characterizing the 3D evolution of two successive CMEs heading for Mercury

TL;DR

This study analyzes the 3D evolution of two successive CMEs from the same active region, using multi-view observations and a cone model to understand their geometry, kinematics, and potential impact on Mercury.

Contribution

It introduces a revised cone model application to determine the 3D geometry and early kinematics of successive CMEs heading for Mercury.

Findings

Large angular extents of 84° and 86° for the CMEs.

Propagation directions close to Mercury's position.

Uniform motion speeds of approximately 636 and 696 km/s.

Abstract

We studied two successive coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that erupted from the same active region (AR 12994) on 2022 April 15 and propagated toward Mercury. Using multi-view observations, we applied the revised cone model to determine the three-dimensional geometry and the early kinematics of the two CMEs. Our best fit parameters indicate large angular extents of 84 and 86 and propagation directions of 119.0 and 110.4 (measured from the Sun Earth line) for CME1 and CME2, respectively, while that of Mercury is 120.1. The derived axis inclinations are 28 for CME1 and 21 for CME2, consistent with the orientation of the erupting flux ropes in the source region. Height time analysis indicates approximately uniform motion speeds of 636 for CME1 and 696 for CME2, respectively. This paper provides valuable insights for predicting the impact of CMEs heading for Mercury as well as other solar planets in the future.