Oscillations and pulsations in the sun and stars (invited review)

The discovery of the solar global oscillations, and their identification to many radial and nonradial eigenmodes of the Sun, have opened a new important field of research called solar seismology, in which we may probe the internal structure of the Sun by using its oscillations. In recent years, pulsations and oscillation-related phenomena have also been discovered in many stars which were hitherto regarded as non-pulsating stars. They include white dwards (ZZ Ceti-stars), Ap-stars, early-type stars with slow and rapid rotation (53 Per and Oph-stars, respectively). Developments in high spectral and high time-resolution observations will be expected to reveal variability in many other stars as well, in near future.In this review, the general properties of stellar eigenmode oscillations are first discussed. Recent observational and theoretical developments in the solar seismology and on pulsations and oscillations of newly discovered variable stars will then be reviewed.Paper presented at the IAU Third Asian-Pacific Regional Meeting, held in Kyoto, Japan, between 30 September–6 October, 1984.