A Simple Radial Gradient Filter for Batch-Processing of Coronagraph Images

Abstract

Images of the extended solar corona, as observed by white-light coronagraphs as observed by different white-light coronagraphs include the K-and F-corona and suffer from a radial variation in intensity. These images require separation of the two coronal components with some additional image-processing to reduce the intensity gradient and analyse the structures and processes occurring at different heights in the solar corona within the full field of view. Over the past few decades, coronagraphs have been producing enormous amounts of data, which will be continued with the launch of new telescopes. To process these bulk coronagraph images with steep radial-intensity gradients, we have developed an algorithm: Simple Radial Gradient Filter (SiRGraF). This algorithm is based on subtracting a minimum background (F-corona) created using long duration images and then dividing the resultant by a uniform intensity gradient image to enhance the K-corona. We demonstrate the utility of this algorithm to bring out the short time-scale transient structures of the corona. SiRGraF could be used to reveal and analyse such structures. It is not suitable for quantitative estimations based on intensity. We have successfully tested the algorithm on images of the Large Angle Spectroscopic COronagraph (LASCO)-C2 onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), and COR-2A onboard the Solar TErrestrial D. Banerjee