| definition |
- The surface of the sun oscillates in certain modes defined by the number of latitudinal and longitudinal modal planes. The sun vibrates in multiple modes simultaneously, each mode typically having a different amplitude. Observing the amplitudes of the various solar oscillation modes is a way to look inside the sun. A commonly observed phenomena is the "5-minute" oscillation, but other periods have been observed from 10 to 160 minutes on the long period scale to about 10
seconds on the short period scale. Also observed are so-called "g-mode"
oscillations (internal gravity waves) generated by turbulent convection below the photosphere. These oscillations are the result of internal motions of the sun and their study is known as helioseismology.
|
