Coronal Mass Ejection and Heliospheric Current Sheet Interaction Causing a Long-duration Magnetic Field Sector Transition

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Abstract
We present a study that combines remote-sensing and in situ observations of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) interacting with the nearby heliospheric current sheet (HCS). The sequence of eruptive events under study culminates in the largest directly observed flare of solar cycle 25 on 2024 October 3, producing a fast halo CME. Their source region can be linked to a so-called nested active region (or active longitude) that persisted over several solar rotations. Such long-lived regions reflect deep-seated magnetic structures that shape the global magnetic field configuration. By applying the drag-based CME propagation model, we connect the near-Sun observations from several CMEs during that activity period with in situ measurements. While one of the CMEs propagated on the opposite side of the HCS from Earth, and therefore did not produce in situ signatures near Earth, we detect, over the period 2024 October 5–10, a complex of HCS and CME structures propagating together with a shock ahead of them. The HCS seems to be locally replaced by the CME signatures, leading to a long-duration sector reversal of more than 48 hr. This event highlights the intrinsic connection between solar surface structures, the global magnetic field, and the evolution of complex eruptive events.
Funding Information
  • Österreichische Agentur für Internationale Mobilität und Kooperation in Bildung, Wissenschaft und Forschung (HR 03/2023)
  • Austrian Science Fund (10.55776/J4560)
  • Research Council of Finland (346902 / 368509 / 355659)
  • EC ∣ HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme (101134999)
  • Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz (x)

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