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In this visualization, Earth's magnetic field structure is represented by lines. It
corresponds to the paths that charged particles would travel close to the Earth.
The sun's magnetic field, carried in the plasma of the solar wind,
flows continuously by the Earth, distorting the planet's field,
and pulling it back into a windsock-type structure.
The red illustrates the higher density plasma that forms the magnetopause,
the boundary between the magnetic influence of the sun and the Earth.
The wind also forms a lower density magnetotail behind the Earth,
represented by blue in this computer model. This process
is happening all the time, as the solar wind is constantly flowing by
the Earth. But a coronal mass ejection or CME can change
things. The higher density plasma and stronger
magnetic field, carried within the CME, strikes Earth's field
and significantly alters the structure.
The dramatic changes in Earth's magnetic field and the shape of the magnetopause
as the CME passes Earth.
Close to Earth, the magnetic field is largely unchanged. Earth is protected from the intense
solar event. This for a rather ordinary
CME. In this example, a CME launched by an X3 flare
from December 2006. But what would happen in the case of a more
intense event, such as the Carrington event of 1859.
With the aid of similar computer models as before, we can explore some of the
possibilities. Here, a much stronger CME
compresses the magnetic field between the sun and Earth and generates more density
in the bow shock, represented by darker red.
The front of the magnetopause was pushed much closer to the Earth than usual.
Even the field and plasma trailing behind the Earth are
more strongly distorted.
beeping