Automated Detection, Characterisation and Tracking of Solar Coronal Mass Ejections

Invited talk given at COSPAR 2014 in Moscow on August 4, 2014. 

Session S.3: ADVANCED DATA ANALYSIS IN SPACE SCIENCE

https://www.cospar-assembly.org/admin/session_cospar.php?session=501

Abstract: Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are large eruptions of plasma and magnetic fux from the Sun through interplanetary space. If they impact the Earth, they can cause space weather effects that are detrimental to technological systems upon which society is highly dependent. It is therefore important to automatically identify and track CMEs in near-realtime in order to better forecast their possible arrival at Earth.

Due to the diuse nature and comparatively high speeds of CMEs, it is computationally challenging to automatically identify, characterise and track them as they move through the solar corona and inner heliosphere. Here, we review and discuss current state-of-the-art image processing techniques, and how they are being used to automatically generate catalogues of CME properties in near-realtime and for space weather purposes. Furthermore, we discus recent advances in the reconstruction and visualisation of CMEs in 3D, which is crucial to our understanding of their detailed structure and resulting evolution through space.