The Suns Surface and Subsurface: Investigating Shape and Irradiance [Hardcover]

Composed of a set of lectures and tutorial reviews, this book stems from a summer school devoted to the gravitational aspects of the sun and their geophysical consequences. Contribitions elaborate on the gravitational distortions of the sun which can be used to gain some knowledge of the sun's interior and surface phenomena but which also influences the sun's irradience and thus ultimately the earth's climate. Last but not least, it is shown that these small distortions constitute a formidable challenge to solar astrometry, and the final part of the book describes the observational difficulties in defining unequivocally the solar diameter.

A Guide to the Book.- A Guide to the Book.- The Figure of the Sun, Astrophysical Consequences. A Tutorial.- The Figure of the Sun, Astrophysical Consequences. A Tutorial.- Solar Oscillations.- Helioseismology: A Fantastic Tool to Probe the Interior of the Sun.- Detection of Solar Eigenmodes.- Variations in the Solar Irradiance.- Solar Ultraviolet Irradiance: Origins, Measurements, and Models.- Total Solar and Spectral Irradiance Variations from Near-UV to Infrared.- Mesurement of the Solar Diameter.- Atmospheric Turbulence and Solar Diameter Measurement.- Solar Astrometry with the Astrolabe of Santiago.- Measurements of the Suns Radius at Calern Observatory.

This relatively compact book provides a comprehensive review of the basic principles, methodology, and tools for studying the solar variability. The main focus is on measurements and interpretation of the solar properties rather than on theory. It provides both an excellent introduction to the field and an exciting review of the recent advances in solar observations from the ground and space. [...] The Suns Surface and Subsurface is very well written and nicely illustrated. It should be of interest to a broad cross-section of scientists working in solar and solar-terrestrial physics, space weather, and Earths climate, lóm