Cannibals in PARADISE: The effect of merging interplanetary shocks on solar energetic particle events

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Niemela, Antonio, Wijsen, Nicolas, Aran, Angels, Rodriguez, Luciano, Magdalenic, Jasmina, Poedts, Stefaan
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Niemela, Antonio
Wijsen, Nicolas
Aran, Angels
Rodriguez, Luciano
Magdalenic, Jasmina
Poedts, Stefaan
author_facet Niemela, Antonio
Wijsen, Nicolas
Aran, Angels
Rodriguez, Luciano
Magdalenic, Jasmina
Poedts, Stefaan
contents Gradual solar energetic particle (SEP) events are associated with shocks driven by coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The merging of two CMEs (so-called Cannibalistic CMEs) and the interaction of their associated shocks, has been linked to some of the most powerful solar storms ever recorded. Multiple studies have focused on the observational aspects of these SEP events, yet only a handful have focused on modeling similar CME-CME interactions in the heliosphere using advanced magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) models. This work presents, to our knowledge, the first modeling results of a fully time-dependent 3D simulation that captures both the interaction of two CMEs and its effect on the acceleration and transport of SEPs. This is achieved by using an MHD model for the solar wind and CME propagation together with an integrated SEP model. We perform different simulations and compare the behavior of the energetic protons in three different solar wind environments, where a combination of two SEP-accelerating CMEs are modeled. We find that particle acceleration is significantly affected by the presence of both CMEs in the simulation. Initially, less efficient acceleration results in lower energy particles. However, as the CMEs converge and their shocks eventually merge, particle acceleration is significantly enhanced through multiple acceleration processes between CME-driven shocks, resulting in higher particle intensities and energy levels.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2405_10615
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Cannibals in PARADISE: The effect of merging interplanetary shocks on solar energetic particle events
Niemela, Antonio
Wijsen, Nicolas
Aran, Angels
Rodriguez, Luciano
Magdalenic, Jasmina
Poedts, Stefaan
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Space Physics
Gradual solar energetic particle (SEP) events are associated with shocks driven by coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The merging of two CMEs (so-called Cannibalistic CMEs) and the interaction of their associated shocks, has been linked to some of the most powerful solar storms ever recorded. Multiple studies have focused on the observational aspects of these SEP events, yet only a handful have focused on modeling similar CME-CME interactions in the heliosphere using advanced magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) models. This work presents, to our knowledge, the first modeling results of a fully time-dependent 3D simulation that captures both the interaction of two CMEs and its effect on the acceleration and transport of SEPs. This is achieved by using an MHD model for the solar wind and CME propagation together with an integrated SEP model. We perform different simulations and compare the behavior of the energetic protons in three different solar wind environments, where a combination of two SEP-accelerating CMEs are modeled. We find that particle acceleration is significantly affected by the presence of both CMEs in the simulation. Initially, less efficient acceleration results in lower energy particles. However, as the CMEs converge and their shocks eventually merge, particle acceleration is significantly enhanced through multiple acceleration processes between CME-driven shocks, resulting in higher particle intensities and energy levels.
title Cannibals in PARADISE: The effect of merging interplanetary shocks on solar energetic particle events
topic Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Space Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.10615