Mysteries of the 17 May 2012 Solar Event Responsible for GLE71. I. CME Development and the Role of Disturbances Excited by Eruptions

The SOL2012-05-17 event is remarkable in that it caused one of two ground-level enhancements (GLE71) in Solar Cycle 24. Despite the efforts spent studying this solar event, some aspects of it remain unclear. This relates to the development of a coronal mass ejection (CME), the history of the shock wave, and the flare. Our measurements reveal the following chain of phenomena. Two successive eruptions occurred within a few minutes. The rate of change of the reconnected magnetic flux shows a series of increases corresponding to the acceleration or deceleration of the erupting structures. The temporal profile of the magnetic-flux change rate is similar to the hard X-ray burst. Each eruption excited a disturbance that, propagating outward, accelerated all structures above it. This led to complex kinematic characteristics of the erupting structures that eventually formed a self-similarly expanding CME. The two disturbances became piston shocks and merged into a single, stronger shock. There are indications of transformation of the piston shock into a bow shock, but this occurs at distances exceeding ten solar radii. Components of the described picture were observed in a number of events and can serve as a guide for studies of eruptive flares.