Binary stars : selected topics on observations and physical processes : lectures held at the Astrophysics School XII, organized by the European Astrophysics Doctoral Network (EADN) in La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain, 6-17 September 1999

More than half of all stars in the universe formed and evolved as binary systems and their study is essential for understanding stellar and galactic evolution. The six lectures in this book give both a readable introduction and an up-to-date review of nearly all aspects of current research into binary stars, including the range from common binaries to more exotic systems composed of white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes.

More than half of all stars in the universe formed and evolved as binary systems and their study is essential for understanding stellar and galactic evolution. The six lectures in this book give both a readable introduction and an up-to-date review of nearly all aspects of research into binary stars, including the range from common binaries to more exotic systems composed of white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes.

Physical Processes in Close Binary Systems....Pages 1-47 Magnetic Activity in Binary Stars....Pages 48-109 Cataclysmic Variables....Pages 110-150 Observations of Cataclysmic Variable and Double Degenerate Stars....Pages 151-202 Evolution of Close Binaries....Pages 203-276 X-RayBinaries and Black Hole Candidates: A Review of Optical Properties....Pages 277-327