Mass ejections from the Sun

Coronal mass ejections are the most spectacular form of solar activity and they play a key role in driving space weather at the Earth. These eruptions are associated with active regions and occur throughout an active region's entire lifetime. All coronal mass ejection models invoke the presence of a twisted magnetic field configuration known as a magnetic flux rope either before or after eruption onset. The observational identification of magnetic flux ropes in the solar atmosphere using remote sensing data represents a challenging task, but theoretical models have led to the understanding that there are signatures that reveal their presence. The range of coronal mass ejection models are helping build a more complete picture of both the trigger and drivers of these eruptions.