Today, the study of The Structure of the Sun is one of the most exciting and rapidly evolving fields in physics. Helioseismology has provided us with a new tool to measure the physical state of the interior of a star, our Sun. This technique is successful to a depth of 0.7 R⊙ (i.e. 0.3 R⊙ from the centre). Deeper than this, observational data has been scarce. However, data are now becoming available from Earth-bound helioseismic networks (GONG, TON, IRIS, BISON,…) and from experiments on board SOHO (GOLF, MDI, VIRGO). These should allow the spectrum of gravity modes for the Sun to be determined, and thus the physical state of the solar core.

This book provides an up-to-date and comprehensive review of our current understanding of the Sun. Each chapter is written by a world expert. They are based on lectures given at the VIth Canary Islands Winter School on Astrophysics. This timely conference brought together leading scientists in the field, postgraduates and recent postdocs students. The aim was to take stock of the new understanding of the Sun and to focus on avenues for fruitful future research. Eight lecturers, around 60 students, and staff from the IAC met in the Hotel Gran Tinerfe in Playa de las Américas (Adeje, Tenerife) from the 5th to the 16th of December, 1994. It was a fortnight of intense and enjoyable scientific work.