Tracking Changes in Magnetic Topology in MHD Simulations

The topology of the coronal magnetic field plays a key role in the properties of the corona and the source of the slow solar wind. The concept of slip-back mapping (Titov et al. 2009) has been applied to detect open, closed, and disconnected flux systems formed by reconnection of coronal magnetic fields during a given time interval. In particular, this technique can identify regions where closed magnetic field lines became open (e.g., via interchange reconnection), and conversely, where open field lines became closed. We will describe the application of this technique to the analysis of 3D MHD simulations (including those of coronal jets and the propagation of "blobs" in the solar wind). Research supported by NASA's Living With a Star Program.