Binary stars: observation and theory

Principal contact: J. Southworth (j.k.taylor@warwick.ac.uk)

Organisers: H. Bruntt (Paris Observatory, France), R. Izzard (Utrecht, The Netherlands), J. Southworth (Warwick, UK)

Binary stars present a huge variety of opportunities, from forensic probes of stellar evolution and high-precision distance measurements, to exhibitions of many weird physical phenomena. These sessions will showcase the cutting edge of binary star studies, from high-precision parameter determinations of visually resolved or eclipsing systems to studies of stellar remnants, substellar objects, accretion processes, magnetic phenomena, and violent eruptions such as novae and Type 1a supernovae. An equal emphasis will be placed on observational studies of binary star systems and the theoretical understanding of the physcial processes which govern their evolution.

Scientific Programme

Wednesday 22nd April
11:00	CoRoT Eclipsing binaries	Carla Maceroni
11:20	New Massive, Eclipsing, Double- Lined Spectroscopic Binaries Cyg OB2-17 and NGC 346-13	Vanessa Stroud
11:30	The Effect of Massive Binaries on Stellar Populations and Supernova Progenitors	John Eldridge
11:50	Rotational Mixing in Binaries: a New Formation Channel for Massive Black-Hole Binaries	Selma de Mink
12:10	Binaries from Afar: Impact on Integrated Photometry of Stellar Populations	Peter Anders
12:20	V458 Vul: a Nova inside a Planetary Nebula	Roger Wesson
Wednesday 22nd April
14:00	The Impact of GAIA upon Studies of White Dwarf Binary Stars	Tom Marsh
14:20	A Rare Outburst of the WZ Sge Type Star GW Lib	Kristiina Byckling
14:30	The Role of Binaries in the Early Galactic Halo	Takuma Suda
14:40	The Galactic Population of Compact Binaries	Paul Groot
15:00	RATS - a Search for Short Period Faint Variable Objects	Tom Barclay
15:10	Discovery of the Jet Trail Nebula of Low Mass X-Ray Binary SAX J1712.6-3739	Klass Wiersema
15:20	HST Imaging and Ground-Based Spectroscopy of the Expanding Nebular Remnant of the 2006 Outburst of RS Ophiuchi	Valerio Ribeiro