Interpreting the solar limb shape distortions

Accurate measurements of the solar oblateness have recently been obtained f rom the SOHO/MDI satellite experiment. The new data are sufficiently accura te to measure nonnegligible multipole shape terms of higher order than the oblateness. Here we extend earlier solar limb shape calculations and compar e the new data with the helioseismic evidence for a complex internal solar rotation profile. We find that the quadrupole (l = 2) and hexadecapole (l = 4) shape terms are marginally inconsistent with the solar rotation data.