Relativistic coronal mass ejections from magnetars

ABSTRACT We study dynamics of relativistic coronal mass ejections (CMEs), from launching by shearing foot-points (either slowly – the ‘Solar flare’ paradigm, or suddenly ‘star quake’ paradigm), to propagation in preceding magnetar wind. For slow shear, most energy injected into CME is first spent on work done breaking through overlaying magnetic field. At later stages, sufficiently powerful CMEs may lead ‘detonation’ a and opening magnetosphere beyond some equipartition radius req, where decreasing becomes larger than external magnetospheric energy. Post-CME relaxes via formation plasmoid-mediated current sheet, initially at ∼req, reaching light cylinder. Both location foot-point shear global configuration affect frequent/weak versus rare/powerful dichotomy produce flares, should be limited field lines that close near star. After creation topologically disconnected flux tube, tube quickly (at ∼ cylinder) comes force-balance with wind passively advected/frozen afterward. fast (a local rotational glitch), resulting large amplitude Alfvén waves (which recovers similarly case). distances much cylinder, propagate non-dissipatively.