Redefining the Magnetic Field Structure of CMEs

Studies have demonstrated that not all CMEs measured in situ fit within the simple twisted and well-organized flux rope topology. In addition, it is clear from remote observations and multi- spacecraft measurements that, even those CMEs that can be well fitted by existing static flux rope models, do not have as simple a structure as that assumed by the existing models. CMEs often have a complex structure. The current flux rope paradigm was developed in the early 1980s (Burlaga et al., 1981; Klein and Burlaga, 1982), at a time when the wealth of data that we currently have could not even be fathomed. It is time now to reconsider the paradigm of the simple twisted flux-rope and adopt a new paradigm that better represents the complex structure of CMEs' magnetic field, and more appropriately explains the current observations and the inconsistencies between the flux-rope based analysis tools. In this work, we present such a paradigm. We give a background on the analysis and work that has been performed in the past few decades leading to the conclusion of this paradigm and we discuss how we can advance in understanding CMEs using it.