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Solar OscillationsOscillations were first detected in the solar photosphere in 1962 by Leighton and students. In 1970 it was calculated that these oscillations, with a period near five minutes, were the manifestations of acoustic waves trapped in the interior. The subsequent measurements of the frequencies of global oscillation modes from the spatio-temporal power spectrum of the waves made possible the refinement of solar interior models. Over the years, increased understanding of the nuclear reaction rates, the opacity, the equation of state, convection, and gravitational settling have resulted. Mass flows shift the frequencies of modes leading to very accurate measurements of the interior rotation as a function of radius and latitude. In recent years, analogues of terrestrial seismology have led to a tomography of the interior, including measurements of global north-south flows and flow and wave speed measurements below features such as sunspots. The future of helioseismology seems bright with the approval of NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory mission, to be launched in 2008.
Document ID
20040082081
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Duvall, Thomas
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 21, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2004
Subject Category
Geophysics
Meeting Information
Meeting: APS Meeting
Location: CO
Country: United States
Start Date: May 2, 2004
End Date: May 4, 2004
Sponsors: American Physical Society
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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