How Magnetic Reconnection Inside Coronal Mass Ejections May Affect Their Coherence

The first coronal mass ejection (CME) observed by SolarOrbiter, on April 19-20, 2020, was also seen by two other spacecraft which were in radial alignment with SolarOrbiter: BepiColombo and Wind. As reported by Davies et al. (Davies et al. 2021 DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202040113), the CME contained a magnetic flux rope structure where magnetic field and plasma flow parameters were well correlated between the three spacecraft. We focus here on the ~6 hour CME interval prior to this unmodified flux rope interval where the correlation is weaker, and the sheath region which preceded it. Specifically, we analyze data collected at the L1 point by Wind and by the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS) configuration upstream of the bow shock near dawn. In the sheath, Wind observed clear crossings of the heliospheric current sheet (HCS), which resulted in a layered structure. In the CME region there is evidence of the production of open and closed field lines through ongoing reconnection occurring at kinks in the magnetic field lines. The field and flow deflections are perpendicular to the background field. These produced a structure formed of slabs where strong non-radial flows and plasma heating were produced. The magnetic connectivity is inferred from the pitch angle distribution of field-aligned strahl electrons. We inquire whether reconnection started closer to the Sun. A number of rapid bow shock crossings by MMS are examined using high resolution data in a multi-spacecraft method. We suggest that local processes such as reconnection are a plausible source of the lack of correlation between the spacecraft measurements in an otherwise near-perfect magnetic conjunction.