Discoveries and Concepts

Abstract The Sun has had an important role in the development of stellar astrophysics. The discoveries of solar magnetism, solar wind, and global acoustic vibrations, to name only a few, have launched completely new topics for research in stellar physics. In addition, concepts such as magnetic reconnection and neutrino mass first arose in attempts to explain puzzling solar phenomena. This volume is intended to remind astronomers, physicists, and students of the Sun's key role, which is based in part on its proximity and its commonality with other stars. After a short survey of the subject, successive chapters will describe the status and future progress in several topics in solar physics that are relevant to stellar physics. We begin with the simplest characteristic of the Sun, its luminosity.