Ok, the "dumbed down" theory sounds more legitimate. I was wondering why a cloud of ejected plasma would travel substantially faster once you "clear the space"

Ok, the "dumbed down" theory sounds more legitimate. I was wondering why a cloud of ejected plasma would travel substantially faster once you "clear the space" in front of it. Especially since much of the distance traveled is before hitting the magnetopause and Earth's magnetic field. Not much to slow it down out there, certainly not something a previous flare could clear up.