An Introduction to Close Binary Stars (Cambridge Astrophysics)

Binary systems of stars are as common as single stars. They are of fundamental importance because they allow stellar masses, radii and luminosities to be measured directly, and explain a host of diverse and energetic phenomena including X-ray binaries, cataclysmic variables, novae, symbiotic stars, and some types of supernovae. This 2001 book was the first to provide a pedagogical and comprehensive introduction to binary stars. It combines theory and observations at all wavelengths to develop a unified understanding of binaries of all categories. It comprehensively reviews methods for calculating orbits, the Roche model, ideas about mass exchange and loss, methods for analysing light curves, the masses and dimensions of different binary systems, and imaging the surfaces of stars and accretion structures. This book provides a thorough introduction to the subject for advanced undergraduate and graduate students. Researchers will also find this to be an authoritative reference. "Binary systems of stars are as common as single stars. They are of fundamental importance because they allow stellar masses, radii and luminosities to be measured directly, and explain a host of diverse and energetic phenomena including X-ray binaries, cataclysmic variables, novae, symbiotic stars, and some types of supernovae. This book is the first to provide a pedagogical and comprehensive introduction to binary stars. It combines theory and observations at all wavelengths to develop a unified understanding of binaries of all categories. It comprehensively reviews methods for calculating orbits, the Roche model, ideas about mass exchange and loss, methods for analysing light curves, the masses and dimensions of different binary systems, and imaging the surfaces of stars and accretion structures. This book provides a thorough introduction to the subject for advanced undergraduate and graduate students. Researchers will also find this to be an authoritative reference."--Publisher's description

Binary systems of stars are as common as single stars. This original text provides a pedagogical and comprehensive introduction to binary stars. The author combines theory and observations at all wavelengths to develop a unified understanding of binaries of all categories. Chapters review methods for calculating orbits, the Roche model, ideas about mass exchange and loss, methods for analyzing light curves, the masses and dimensions of different binary systems, and imaging the surfaces of stars and accretion structures. This volume offers advanced undergraduate and graduate students a thorough introduction to binary stars that will aid their learning of stellar astrophysics, stellar structure and evolution, and observational astrophysics.

Contents 8 Preface 10 1 Close binary stars: A historical review 12 2 Two-body orbital motion 40 3 The determination of orbits 68 4 Perturbations, the Roche model, and mass exchange/loss 141 5 Photometry and polarimetry: Stellar sizes and shapes 189 6 Masses and absolute dimensions for stars in binaries 290 7 The imaging of stellar surfaces and accretion structures 313 Problems 356 Outline answers 363 Bibliography 366 Index 384 This authoritative 2001 book was the first to provide a pedagogical introduction to the binary stars. It combines theory and observations to provide advanced students with a thorough introduction to binaries and a lucid companion for courses on stellar astrophysics, stellar structure and evolution, and observational astrophysics. The points of light in the night-time sky that we call stars can be divided into two categories.