Solar oscillations: Past,present, and future

Observation of global oscillations of the Sun constitutes a primitive seismology of the solar interior. The frequencies, if correctly identified with definite normal modes of vibration, provide a measure of the average velocity of sound in the interior and thereby of its composition and temperature. Fine structure in the frequencies of nonradial modes may provide information on their character (multiplicity) and on the rotation of the solar interior. Study of the amplitudes and phase fluctuations of the vibrations may clarify the excitation and damping of the vibrations.After a brief historical review emphasizing global velocity spectroscopy an account is given of the present status of the observations of global oscillations in the range of periods of 3 to 160 min.Finally the future capabilities of the observational techniques and their resultant potential is discussed.Proceedings of the 14th ESLAB Symposium on Physics of Solar Variations, 16–19 September 1980, Scheveningen, The Netherlands.