The adjoint method applied to time-distance helioseismology

For a given misfit function, a specified optimality measure of a model, its gradient describes the manner in which one may alter properties of the system to march toward a stationary point. The adjoint method, arising from partial-differential-equation-constrained optimization, describes a means of extracting derivatives of a misfit function with respect to model parameters through finite computation. It relies on the accurate calculation of wavefields that are driven by two types of sources, namely, the average wave-excitation spectrum, resulting in the forward wavefield, and differences between predictions and observations, resulting in an adjoint wavefield. All sensitivity kernels relevant to a given measurement emerge directly from the evaluation of an interaction integral involving these wavefields. The technique facilitates computation of sensitivity kernels (Fréchet derivatives) relative to three-dimensional heterogeneous background models, thereby paving the way for nonlinear iterative inversions. An algorithm to perform such inversions using as many observations as desired is discussed.