Asteroseismology: results and prospects

Abstract

Asteroseismology is interpreted as an extension of the field of variable stars, and not just as the stellar analogue of helioseismology. The main effects of stellar mass and evolution on oscillation frequencies are discussed with the help of simplified wave-propagation diagrams. Frequency separations resulting from asymptotic expressions are compared with the corresponding results from numerical computations. The validity of asymptotic theory can be gauged in this way. The seismological issues of solar-like stars and Ap stars are discussed in some detail, and a progress report on the equation of state for stellar interiors is given. The review ends with a summary of properties and important physical problems for selected classes of variable stars.