Solar oscillations observed in the total irradiance

The total solar irradiance measurements obtained by the active-cavity radiometer on board the Solar Maximum Mission have been analyzed for evidence of global oscillations. We find that the most energetic low-degree p-mode oscillations in the five-minute band have amplitudes of a few parts per million of the total irradiance, and we positively detect modes with l = 0, 1, and 2. The distribution in l differs from that of the velocity spectrum, with relatively more power at lower l values. The individual modes have narrow line widths, corresponding to values of Q greater than a few thousand, or lifetimes of at least a week. We do not detect the 160-min oscillation in the power spectrum, and place an upper limit of 5 parts per million (99.9% confidence) on its amplitude.