Solar structure from global studies of the 5-minute oscillation

High sensitivity Doppler spectroscopy of integral sunlight in the 769.9nm line of neutral potassium reveals several equally spaced lines of Q > 1,000 centred on the well known period of 5 min. These lines are integrated as low l, high n overtones of the entire Sun. The 5 min oscillations of the solar photosphere are here studied by an overall view of the solar surface and consequently there is a bias to the study of low l value oscillations. These modes penetrate deeply and probe the structure as well as the interior angular velocity of the Sun. (U.K.)