Proceedings of the 69th Colloquium of the International Astronomical Union held in Bamberg, F.R.G., August 31-September 3, 1981

More than two-thirds of stars belong to multiple stellar systems. Binary stars are considered now as one of the best constraints on stellar formation models. Not only do binaries keep memory of their birth conditions but their orbit will also be subjected to changes by tidal effects, wind accretion and encounters in clusters. Certainly the correlation between orbital eccentricity and period is a clue to our understanding of double star history. These proceedings aim to disentangle evidence of stellar formation from later physical evolution. Each article in this 1992 volume is a paper that was read at a meeting organized to honour Dr Roger Griffin of the University of Cambridge for his pioneer work in galactic astronomy, dynamics of clusters and study on binary stars due to his cross-correlation technique to determine stellar radial velocities.

An advanced review of how binary stars affect stellar evolution, presenting results from state-of-the art models and recent observations.

Astronomy and Astrophysics Abstracts, which has appeared in semi-annual volumes since 1969, is devoted to the recording, summarizing and indexing of astronomical publications throughout the world. It is prepared under the auspices of the International Astronomical Union (according to a resolution adopted at the 14th General Assembly in 1970). Astronomy and Astrophysics Abstracts aims to present a comprehensive documenta tion of literature in all fields of astronomy and astrophysics. Every effort will be made to ensure that the average time interval between the date of receipt of the original literature and publication of the abstracts will not exceed eight months. This time interval is near to that achieved by monthly abstracting journals, compared to which our system of accumu lating abstracts for about six months offers the advantage of greater convenience for the user. Volume 32 contains literature published in 1982 and received before February 11, 1983; some older literature which was received late and which is not recorded in earlier volumes is also included. We acknowledge with thanks contributions to this volume by Dr. J. Bou~a, Prague, who surveyed journals and publications in Czech and supplied us with abstracts in English.

Proceedings of a Symposium held in Dwingeloo, The Netherlands, September 24-26, 1984 in honour of Adriaan Blaauw on the occasion of his 70th birthday

Introduction to Close Binary Systems provides a comprehensive survey and guide to the fast-moving field of multiple, specifically binary, stars, with an up to date account of research around 'close', i.e. interacting pairs. Such interactions allow direct quantification of stellar properties, opening up factual insights into basic building blocks of the Universe. The book provides a much needed update for the seminal Close Binary Systems of Zdenĕk Kopal. Following a comparable plan, it presents relevant subject matter with an emphasis on building a framework of understanding to serve as a supporting resource for students and researchers. The text starts from a general historical background and progresses into the main theoretical ideas supporting our prima facie interpretation of observations. The central chapters explore further into these observational methods, arranged according to the classic subdivisions of astrometry, spectroscopy and photometry. Optimal inversion of observational data into model parametrization is a theme through these chapters. Significant here is the problem of how non-uniqueness in modelling affects interpretation. The underlying issues of stellar evolution bearing on observational evidence become paramount in the last four chapters. The book proceeds step-by-step from directly understandable examples of unevolved pairs to the challenging cases where stars are found in more and more extreme conditions, leading up to the mergers of massive black hole pairs seen in the new field of gravitational wave astronomy. This is a valuable reference for postgraduate and advanced undergraduate students working in mainstream areas of stellar astrophysics, with applications also to exoplanet research which shares some methodological features. Course designers for stellar astrophysics will find a useful selection of topics within this book. Key features: • Provides a well-explained and backgrounded, up-to-date account of close binary systems, in a fast-moving field of research that is growing in scientific importance • Surveys a wide range of case-studies within the context of binary and multiple star systems • Fills an acknowledged gap in current literature Cover Image: A public memorial to Zdenek Kopal in his home town (birthplace) of Litomysl in Czechia.

During the past years, a number of international astronomical conferences were held at the Remeis-Observatory in Bamberg, four of them sponsored by the International Astronomical Union. The first meeting was organized in 1959 and dealt with Variable Stars, the last one was held in 1981 and focussed on 'Binary and Multiple Stars as Tracers of Stellar Evolution'. The present conference was organized to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel, who was born in Minden on July 22, 1784, and died in Konigsberg on March 17, 1846. When the plan for an international conference on astrometric binaries was presented to several colleagues, we received enthusiastic support and decided to pursue the idea. A Scientific Organizing Committee was soon established, consisting of: Z. Kopal Manchester, u.K.S.M. Gong Nanjing, China (Chairman) M. Grewing Tiibingen, F.R.G.V. Abalakin Pulkovo, U.S.S.R.P. v. d. Kamp Amsterdam, Netherlands J. Dommanget Uccle, Belgium M. Kitamura Tokyo, Japan M.G. Fracastoro Torino, Italy J. Rahe Bamberg, F.R.G.W. Fricke Heidelberg, F.R.G. Ya. Yatskiv Kiev, U.S.S.R.E.H. Geyer Bonn, F.R.G. The meeting took place in Bamberg at the Remeis-Observatory, Astronomical Institute of the University Erlangen-Nurnberg, from June l3 to 15, 1984. The following institutions generously supported the meeting: Deutsche Forschungs gemeinschaft, Bonn; Stadt Bamberg; Universitat Bamberg; Universitat Erlangen Nurnberg; University of Manchester.