Data-Driven Numerical Modeling of CME Onset and Eruption

On March 15, 2015 a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) associated with a C9.1 class flare caused the biggest geomagnetic storm of solar cycle 24. We present a numerical modeling study of the pre-eruption energetic phase, onset and evolution of this CME in the solar corona and the inner heliosphere. The CME initiation is modeled using the STITCH (STatisTical Injection of Condensed Helicity) methodology with the extended 3D global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model of the solar corona, Alfven Wave Solar atmosphere Model (AWSoM). STITCH is a statistical approximation of the hard to capture (numerically) small scale photospheric motions, by injecting a net helicity and forming sheared filament channels over polarity inversion lines (PILs). This emulates the energy build-up due to the small-scale convective motions and magnetic reconnection on the solar surface. In comparison to analytical flux-rope models, this method provides a realistic way to investigate the onset and eruption of a CME from the solar surface utilizing observations of the photospheric magnetic field. The shearing of the PIL of the erupting active region energizes the filament channel leading to flare reconnection and eruption of the CME flux-rope structure. We describe the magnetic and plasma properties of the pre-eruption and post eruption phase of the CME and its evolution characteristics.