Open AccessSeismology of the solar envelope: sound‐speed gradient in the convection zone and its diagnosis of the equation of state
Author(s) -
Baturin V. A.,
Däppen W.,
Gough D. O.,
Vorontsov S. V.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.2000.03459.x
Subject(s) - physics , speed of sound , ionization , convection zone , pressure gradient , helium , inversion (geology) , oscillation (cell signaling) , helioseismology , computational physics , convection , mechanics , ion , atomic physics , acoustics , quantum mechanics , geology , magnetic field , paleontology , structural basin , biology , genetics
We report the results of an asymptotic inversion of solar oscillation data for the gradient of the sound speed in the convection zone. This gradient reveals details of the non‐ideal Coulomb interactions between particles, including pressure ionization. A simplified physical model is used to track down the effect of various physical assumptions in the sound‐speed derivative. The model contains a calibration for the size of the H and He atoms and the He + ion. We find that, for the pressure‐ionization regions of hydrogen and helium, such a model matches the data better than any of the currently available parameter‐free theories.