Thursday

There is increasing observational evidence provided by soft X-ray and EUV emission in the corona that flux ropes, magnetic configurations that consist of helical magnetic field, form prior to eruption of coronal mass ejections (CMEs). In addition, CMEs are frequently associated with the ejection of cool, dense filament plasma, which are also thought to indicate the presence of a flux rope. However, current theoretical models of CMEs differ in when the magnetic flux rope forms. One set of models requires the flux rope to be present prior to eruption, with the CME being the result of an ideal instability or loss of equilibrium. In the other picture the flux rope forms in-situ, during the eruption, as a product of magnetic reconnection. As Earth-directed CMEs can drive intense geomagnetic storms, which can lead to hazardous space weather conditions at Earth we need a better understanding of the formation and evolution of their pre-eruptive configuration and the CME initiation mechanism.

This talk will first review the main observational evidence and properties of flux ropes, followed by the proposition of some open questions that may be answered with forthcoming missions such as Solar Orbiter, Solar Probe+ and DKIST.