Physics of solar-like oscillations

Abstract

The physics of solar and stellar oscillations determines their observable properties: frequencies, amplitudes, lifetimes, line asymmetries and phase relations. In the solar case these quantities have been measured, often with high precision, and much has been learned about the properties of the solar interior, and the properties of the oscillations. With recent advances in observational techniques, such seismic investigations are now being extended to solar-like oscillations in distant stars. I provide a brief overview of the basic properties of stellar oscillations, and of the information about stellar properties that may be inferred from them, concentrating mostly on the low-degree modes for which information may be expected for distant stars. In addition, I consider the current state of investigations of solar-like oscillations in other stars, and the prospects for an improved understanding of the physics of such oscillations.