Modeling the Observed Distortion of Multiple (Ghost) CME Fronts in STEREO Heliospheric Imagers

In this work we have, for the first time, applied the interpretation of multiple “ghost-fronts” to two synthetic coronal mass ejections (CMEs) propagating within a structured solar wind using the Heliospheric Upwind eXtrapolation time (HUXt) solar wind model. The two CMEs occurred on 2012 June 13–14 showing multiple fronts in images from Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory Heliospheric Imagers (HIs). The HUXt model is used to simulate the evolution of these CMEs across the inner heliosphere as they interacted with structured ambient solar wind. The simulations reveal that the evolution of CME shape is consistent with observations across a wide range of solar latitudes and that the manifestation of multiple “ghost-fronts” within HIs’ field of view is consistent with the positions of the nose and flank of the same CME structure. This provides further confirmation that the angular separation of these features provides information on the longitudinal extent of a CME. For one of the CMEs considered in this study, both simulations and observations show that a concave shape develops within the outer CME front. We conclude that this distortion results from a latitudinal structure in the ambient solar wind speed. The work emphasizes that the shape of the CME cannot be assumed to remain a coherent geometrical shape during its propagation in the heliosphere. Our analysis demonstrates that the presence of “ghost” CME fronts can be used to infer the distortion of CMEs by ambient solar wind structure as a function of both latitude and longitude. This information has the potential to improve the forecasting of space weather events at Earth.