Hough Transform to Study the Magnetic Confinement of Solar Spicules

E. Tavabi, S. Koutchmy, A. Ajabshirizadeh

Center for Excellence in Astronomy & Astrophysics (CEAA-RIAAM ), Maragha, Iran.
Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, Paris, France.

DOI: 10.4236/jmp.2012.311223                

Abstract

One of the important parameters of the ubiquitous spicules rising intermittently above the surface of the Sun is the variation of spicule spline orientation with respect to the solar coordinates, presumably reflecting the focusing of ejection by the coronal magnetic field. Here we first use a method of tracing limb spicules using a combination of second derivative operators in multiple directions around each pixel to enhance the visibility of fine linear part of spicules. Furthermore, the Hough transform is used for a statistical analysis of spicule orientations in different regions around the solar limb, from the pole to the equator. Our results show a large difference of spicule apparent tilt angles in regions of: 1) the solar poles, 2) the equator, 3) the active regions and 4) the coronal holes. Spicules are visible in a radial direction in polar regions with a tilt angle <20°. The tilt angle is even reduced inside a coronal hole (open magnetic field lines) to 10 degrees and at the lower latitude the tilt angle reaches values in excess of 50 degree. Usually, around an active region they show a wide range of apparent angle variations from –60 to +60 degrees, which is in close resemblance to the rosettes made of dark mottles and fibrils seen in projection with the solar disk.

Keywords

Solar Chromosphere; Spicule; Hough Transform; Tracing; Magnetic Focusing

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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