Short-period binaries run the gamut from widely separated stars
to black-hole pairs; in between are systems that include neutron
stars and white dwarfs, and partially evolved systems such as
tidally distorted and over-contact systems. These objects represent
stages of evolution of binary stars, and their degrees of
separation provide critical clues to how their evolutionary paths
differ from that of single stars. The widest and least distorted
systems provide astronomers with the essential precise data needed
to study all stars: mass and radius. The interactions of binary
star components, on the other hand, provide a natural laboratory to
observe how the matter in these stars behaves under different and
often varying physical conditions. Thus, cataclysmic variables with
and without overpoweringly strong magnetic fields, and stars with
densities from that found in the Sun to the degenerate matter of
white dwarfs and the ultra-compact states of neutron stars and
black holes are all discussed. The extensive index permits
cross-referencing.
The objects being discussed are carefully defined in each
section and the contributions are organized according to the
compactness of the binaries that are treated. Some treatments are
of individual objects; others are more general.
The observational techniques that are used by the contributors
to throw light on these objects include gravitational wave
investigations, X-ray, radio, infrared, and optical astronomy; and
the ways in which these objects are analyzed is also discussed.
Among the specific objects reported is the Double Pulsar,
highlighting what observations of this object tell us about
fundamental physics.
The level of the book is appropriate for both professional
astronomers in the field as well as people interested in other
fields and dedicated amateur astronomers.
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