Interpreting the Solar Limb Shape Distortions

James Armstrong, J. R. Kuhn
1999 Astrophysical Journal  
Accurate measurements of the solar oblateness have recently been obtained from the SOHO/MDI satellite experiment. The new data are sufficiently accurate to measure nonnegligible multipole shape terms of higher order than the oblateness. Here we extend earlier solar limb shape calculations and compare the new data with the helioseismic evidence for a complex internal solar rotation proÐle. We Ðnd that the quadrupole (l \ 2) and hexadecapole (l \ 4) shape terms are marginally inconsistent with the solar rotation data.
doi:10.1086/307879 fatcat:gqa5mtleznbr5maoikos52ex5y