Unraveling Coronal Mass Ejection Dynamics: Deflections, Rotations, and Space Weather Implications

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are among the most energetic manifestations of solar activity and play a central role in driving space weather events. As they propagate through the solar corona and heliosphere, CMEs interact intricately with the surrounding plasma and magnetic fields and may undergo significant deflections and rotations that can alter their trajectories, structure, and eventual impact on Earth’s and other planet’s magnetospheres. Recent observational and modelling advances have improved our ability to track CMEs in three dimensions using multi-spacecraft data from missions such as Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO), Solar Orbiter, Parker Solar Probe, Wind, ACE and many others. Nevertheless, major uncertainties remain regarding the persistence of deflection beyond the low corona, the physical mechanisms underlying flux rope rotation, and how these dynamic changes affect CME geoeffectiveness. Despite significant theoretical and computational progress, the link between CME morphology near the Sun and its in situ magnetic configuration at 1 AU remains a critical knowledge gap, limiting accurate forecasting of geomagnetic disturbances.

This Research Topic aims to consolidate recent developments in understanding the dynamic evolution of CMEs during their journey from the Sun to Earth and other locations in the Heliosphere. It seeks to integrate observational, theoretical, and modelling perspectives to analyze and quantify CME deflection and rotation processes and assess their implications for space weather prediction. The overarching goal is to establish a complete, multi-scale framework describing how CMEs evolve in three dimensions, spatially and magnetically, and to clarify how these transformations influence Earth-impact probability, arrival time, and magnetic field orientation at contact. By combining diverse methodologies and multi-point datasets, this initiative encourages the formulation of new models and methods that bridge the current divide between solar-origin observations and heliospheric effects.

This Research Topic focuses on the dynamics of CMEs from eruption to arrival at Earth and other locations in the Heliosphere, emphasizing their physical evolution, observational diagnostics, and space weather consequences. To gather further insights into CME dynamics and their impact on space weather, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• CME deflections: latitudinal and longitudinal shifts, coronal and heliospheric contributions, and their dependence on background solar wind and
magnetic structures.
• CME rotations: mechanisms driving flux rope orientation changes, observational constraints, and statistical characterization across solar cycles.
• Multi-point 3D reconstruction and tracking techniques integrating data from SOHO, STEREO, Solar Orbiter, and Parker Solar Probe.
• Source region characteristics and their relationship to subsequent CME evolution through the heliosphere.
• In situ validation and flux rope diagnostics to reconcile remote sensing and spacecraft-based observations.
• Numerical and analytical modelling approaches, including MHD, drag-based, and data-driven frameworks for CME propagation.
• Solar wind and CME interaction and its role in the rotation of the CMEs.
• IMF Bz forecasting improvements derived from better CME trajectory and orientation prediction.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Coronal mass ejections, CME deflection and rotation, Heliospheric propagation, Space weather forecasting, Flux rope evolution

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.