J. Geophys. Res. 113, A00A15, 2008
© American Geophysical Union
Solar Mass Ejection Imager 3-D reconstruction of the 27−28 May 2003 coronal mass ejection sequence
B.V. Jackson, M.M. Bisi, P.P. Hick, A. Buffington and J.M Clover
Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences, Univ. California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
W. Sun
Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK, USA.
Abstract
The Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI) has recorded the inner-heliospheric response
in white-light Thomson scattering for many hundreds of interplanetary coronal mass
ejections (ICMEs). Some of these have been observed by the Solar and Heliospheric
Observatory (SOHO) Large-Angle Spectroscopic Coronagraph (LASCO) instruments and
also in situ by near-Earth spacecraft. This article presents a low-resolution three-
dimensional (3-D) reconstruction of the 27−28 May 2003 halo CME event sequence
observed by LASCO and later using SMEI observations; this sequence was also observed
by all in situ monitors near Earth. The reconstruction derives its perspective views from
outward flowing solar wind. Analysis results reveal the shape, extent, and mass of this
ICME sequence as it reaches the vicinity of Earth. The extended shape has considerable
detail that is compared with LASCO images and masses for this event. The 3-D
reconstructed density, derived from the remote-sensed Thomson scattered brightness, is
also compared with the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) and Wind spacecraft in
situ plasma measurements. These agree well in peak and integrated total value for this
ICME event sequence when an appropriately enhanced ($20%) electron number density
is assumed to account for elements heavier than hydrogen in the ionized plasma.