New telescopes spanning the full electromagnetic spectrum have enabled the study of supernovae (SNe) and supernova remnants (SNRs) to advance at a breathtaking pace. Automated synoptic surveys have increased the detection rate of supernovae by more than an order of magnitude and have led to the discovery of highly unusual supernovae. Observations of gamma-ray emission from SNRs with ground-based Cherenkov telescopes and the Fermi telescope have spawned new insights into particle acceleration in supernova shocks. Far-infrared observations from the Spitzer and Herschel observatories have told us much about the properties and fate of dust grains in SNe and SNRs. Work with satellite-borne Chandra and XMM-Newton telescopes and ground-based radio and optical telescopes reveal signatures of supernova interaction with their surrounding medium, their progenitor life history and of the ecosystems of their host galaxies. IAU Symposium 296 covers all these advances, focusing on the interactions of supernovae with their environments.

The cataclysmic stellar explosion Supernova 1987A, visible to the naked eye, was the nearest and brightest supernova witnessed since the invention of the telescope four centuries ago. This volume deals with supernovae and their remnants, in terms of exceptional phenomena that produce and release high-energy nuclei and particles. Marking the thirtieth anniversary of SN 1987A, the proceedings of IAU Symposium 331 introduce the accumulating knowledge on these central sources in many active fields of investigation: stellar evolution and the diversity of supernova progenitors and their properties, explosive nucleosynthesis and particle acceleration in the most extreme environments known to physics, and the long-standing issues about the origins of heavy nuclei in the Universe and of cosmic rays. Through its interdisciplinary approach, this volume also sheds light on the open issues related to these topics and emphasizes topics of future interest with upcoming multi-wavelength and multi-messenger facilities.