Structure and Dynamics of Erupting Solar Prominences Using the Rolling Hough Transform: Toward a Feature-oriented Classification

The classification of solar prominences has proven to be challenging, due to their diverse morphologies and dynamical behavior. Complexity is heightened when considering eruptive prominences, where the dynamics demand methods capable of capturing detailed structural information. While there exist a range of line-of-sight and plane-of-sky (POS) techniques that have advanced our understanding of prominence motions, they are subject to limitations, emphasizing the need for effective methods of extracting structural information from prominence dynamics. We present a proof of concept for the spatial Rolling Hough Transform (RHT) algorithm, which identifies fine-scale structural orientation in the POS, applied to prominence structure and dynamics. We demonstrate the RHT approach using two contrasting prominence dynamics events using Solar Dynamics Observatory/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly 304 Å observations: (1) a quiet-Sun eruption, and (2) activation (swirl) of a polar crown prominence. By analyzing the light curves and movies from each event, we divide the events into distinct dynamical phases: from slow rise to drainage. The spatial RHT method enables us to extract structural information and localized dynamics for both events and the different evolution phases. We develop a classification to label the prominences as either radially or tangentially oriented structures. The quiet-Sun eruption has a predominately tangential structure in the slow-rise phase but displays greater radial features during/after the eruption. The polar swirl activation initially shows a strong radial contribution, which diminishes as more tangential structures appear during/after the activation. Our results demonstrate the successful application of the spatial RHT to prominences, leading to the classification of individual prominences and an insight into their dynamics.