“An Introduction to Waves and Oscillations in the Sun” is intended for students and researchers who work in the area of solar and astrophysics. This book contains an introduction to the Sun, basics of electrodynamics, magneto-hydrodynamics for force-free and current-free fields. It deals with waves in uniform media with relevance to sound waves and Alfven waves, and with waves in non-uniform media like surface waves or waves in a slab and cylindrical geometry. It also touches on instabilities in fluids and observational signatures of oscillations. Finally, there is an introduction to the area of helio-seismology, which deals with the internal structure of the Sun.

Provides the latest summary on the solar coronal heating enigma and magneto-seismology of the solar atmosphere, for solar physics researchers.

A wealth of new experimental and theoretical results has been obtained in solar physics since the first edition of this textbook appeared in 1989. Thus all nine chapters have been thoroughly revised, and about 100 pages and many new illustrations have been added to the text. The additions include element diffusion in the solar interior, the recent neutrino experiments, methods of image restoration, observational devices used for spectroscopy and polarimetry, and new developments in helioseismology and numerical simulation. The book takes particular advantage of the results of several recent space missions, which lead to substantial progress in our understanding of the Sun, from the deep interior to the corona and solar wind.

This book presents a pedagogical, updated and modern view of the Sun from its interior to its exterior as well as the Sun-Earth system. Written by eminent scientists in solar physics, the chapters deal with recent advances in solar physics, seismic Sun, solar magnetic field, waves and oscillations, spectroscopic diagnostics of solar plasmas, partially ionized lower atmosphere, coronal heating, coronal mass ejections, radio Sun, solar wind, and the Sun-Earth system. Each chapter is fully illustrated and has a comprehensive reference list. The book covers all major topics in solar physics, and presents a rich menu to motivate graduate students who wish to pursue a solar physics research career.

This volume of lecture notes brings together the knowledge on pulsations of the Sun and the stars, with a particular emphasis on recent observations and modelling, and on the influence of pulsations of other physical processes. The book begins with an extensive introduction to helioseismology. The solar cycle and gravity modes are discussed before the focus is widened from helioseismology to asteroseismology which is detailed in a series of specific chapters. Based on courses given at a graduate school, these tutorial lecture notes will be of interest and useful to a rather broad audience of scientists and students.

D. O. GOUGH Institute of Astronomy. Madingley Road. Cambridge. U. K. IAU Colloquium 66 on 'Problems of Solar and Stellar Oscillations' was held at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory, U. S. S. R. , on 1-5 September, 1981. The principal purpose of the colloquium was to study the low-amplitude oscillations of the Sun and, to a lesser extent, to consider similar oscillations of other stars. Much of the emphasis of the discussions was on the diagnostic value of the oscilla tions. In the last few years we have become aware that the frequencies of the five-minute modes of high degree, which constitute the major component of the oscillations discovered twenty years ago by Evans and Michaud, can be used to put quite tight bounds on the stratification of the solar convection zone. These permit a calibration of solar models computed from so-called standard evolution theory. Modes of low degree penetrate beneath the convection zone to the core of the Sun, and can in principle test the evolution theory. Therefore there was considerable interest in the reports of the latest observations of such modes. Broadly speaking, those observations confirm the cali bration by the high-degree modes, but there remain some systematic discrepancies that demand some revision of the theory. Besides the gross aspects of evolution theory, there are also more intricate details to be understood.

In this work, Prof. Arnold Hanslmeier provides modern and fascinating astronomical knowledge. The book begins with a description of the origin of the universe and goes on to dark matter, black holes and the formation of the solar system. Finally, it is rounded off at the end by the exciting question: Are we alone in the universe? In this book, which originated from a lecture given at the University of Graz for students of all faculties, the author explains the interrelationships clearly and in a generally understandable way with the help of many colourful pictures, without demanding too much basic knowledge of mathematics and physics. Somewhat deeper formulas and text passages are separated from the rest of the text and can be skipped without losing the context. This third edition incorporates new findings such as the spectacular direct discovery of gravitational waves, fascinating images and data from Pluto, and the first landing on a comet. Numerous new photographs and illustrations have been added to aid understanding. The latest data in the field of exoplanet research has also been incorporated. The book is intended not only for students, but also for interested laymen as well as for all those who deal with modern findings of natural science. "Physics, especially astrophysics, can be extremely exciting, I hope my readers gain just that impression by reading this book!" A. Hanslmeier

Proceedings of the Sixth European Regional Meeting in Astronomy, held in Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia, October 19-23, 1981

The IAU Colloquium No. 143 "The Sun as a Variable Star: Solar and Stellar Irradiance Variations" was held on June 20 - 25, 1993 at the Clarion Harvest House, Boulder, Colorado, USA. The main objective of this Colloquium was to review the most recent results on the observations, theoretical interpreta tions, and empirical and physical models of the variations observed in solar and stellar irradiances. A special emphasis of the Colloquium was to discuss the results gained on the climatic impact of solar irradiance variability. The study of changes in solar and stellar irradiances has been of high interest for a long time. Determining the absolute value of the luminosity of stars with different ages is a crucial question for the theory of stellar evolu tion and energy production of stellar interiors. Observations of the temporal changes of solar and stellar irradiances - in the entire spectral band and at different wavelengths - provide an additional tool for studying the physical processes below the photosphere and in the solar- stellar atmospheres. Since the Sun's radiative output is the main driver of the physical processes with in the Earth's atmosphere, the study of irradiance changes is an extremely important issue for climatic studies as well. Climatic models show that small, but persistent changes in solar irradiance may influence the Earth's climate.