The composition of the solar photosphere Original Research Article

The Sun is unique because chemical composition data can be derived from very different layers, from the center to the outermost coronal layers, using very different techniques like helioseismology, spectroscopy, particle collection techniques, … Differences in chemical composition are observed allowing to discover how the different solar layers evolve. The composition of the solar photosphere, which represents the composition of the outer convective zone, is the basic reference source of elemental abundances. We review the current status of our knowledge of the chemical composition of this layer and compare it with data from other solar sources as well as with meteoritic data.