Modelling the initiation of coronal mass ejections: magnetic flux emergence versus shearing motions

Context. Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are enormous expulsions of magnetic flux and plasma from the solar corona into the interplanetaryspace. These phenomena release a huge amount of energy. It is generally accepted that both photospheric motions and theemergence of new magnetic flux from below the photosphere can put stress on the system and eventually cause a loss of equilibriumresulting in an eruption.Aims. By means of numerical simulations we investigate both emergence of magnetic flux and shearing motions along the magneticinversion line as possible driver mechanisms for CMEs. The pre-eruptive region consists of three arcades with alternating magneticflux polarity, favouring the breakout mechanism.Methods. The equations of ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) were advanced in time by using a finite volume approach and solvedin spherical geometry. The simulation domain covers a meridional plane and reaches from the lower solar corona up to 30 R. Whenwe applied time-dependent boundary conditions at the inner boundary, the central arcade of the multiflux system expands, leadingto the eventual eruption of the top of the helmet streamer. We compare the topological and dynamical evolution of the system whendriven by the different boundary conditions. The available free magnetic energy and the possible role of magnetic helicity in the onsetof the CME are investigated.Results. In our simulation setup, both driving mechanisms result in a slow CME. Independent of the driving mechanism, the overallevolution of the system is the same: the actual CME is the detatched helmet streamer. However, the evolution of the central arcade isdifferent in the two cases. The central arcade eventually becomes a flux rope in the shearing case, whereas in the flux emergence casethere is no formation of a flux rope. Furthermore, we conclude that magnetic helicity is not crucial to a solar eruption.