Tomography of the Solar Interior

TL;DR

Helioseismology uses solar oscillation data to create three-dimensional images of the Sun's interior, revealing its structure, dynamics, and magnetic activity regions.

Contribution

This paper reviews methods for analyzing solar oscillations to produce detailed 3D images of the Sun's interior, advancing understanding of solar convection and magnetic regions.

Findings

Development of analysis methods for 3D imaging

Identification of convective structures and sunspots

Enhanced understanding of solar interior dynamics

Abstract

Solar oscillations consist of a rich spectrum of internal acoustic waves and surface gravity waves, stochastically excited by turbulent convection. They have been monitored almost continuously over the last ten years with high-precision Doppler images of the solar surface. The purpose of helioseismology is to retrieve information about the structure and the dynamics of the solar interior from the frequencies, phases, and amplitudes of solar waves. Methods of analysis are being developed to make three-dimensional images of subsurface motions and temperature inhomogeneities in order to study convective structures and regions of magnetic activity, like sunspots.