Oriented connectivity-based method for segmenting solar loops

A method based on oriented connectivity that can automatically segment arc-like structures (solar loops) from intensity images of the Sun's corona is introduced. The method is a constructive approach that uses model-guided processing to enable extraction of credible loop structures. Since the solar loops are vestiges of the solar magnetic field, the model-guided processing exploits external estimates of this field's local orientations that are derived from a physical magnetic field model. Empirical studies of the method's effectiveness are also presented. The oriented connectivity-based method is the first automatic method for the segmentation of solar loops.