A star in a binary may interact with its companion and this complicates significantly its structure and evolution. During several decades in the past many astronomers hoped that the number of binaries is small. This is sometimes reflected in theoretical studies dealing with large populations of stars where it is ASSUMED (without any justification) that binaries do not alter the results. The number of confirmed binaries increases as observations improve and we there fore thought that the time was right to organize a meeting where the main topic would be the effect of binaries on stellar population studies. The SOC proposed a program with extended general overviews and highlights of non-evolved and evolved binaries, with low mass, intermediate mass and massive components, the link with supernova explosions, pulsars and gamma-ray bursts, the effect of binaries on the chemical evo lution of galaxies. Specialists in the different research fields were invited and have given very interesting and highly educational talks. As can be noticed by reading the proceedings, the authors have put a lot of effort in preparing their contribution.

`This book is definitely one that I would recommend for libraries to purchase. Researchers from many fields will have occasion to read the reviews and will be well rewarded.'
The Observatory, 122/1168 (2002)

Klappentext

This book reviews recent observations of non-evolved and evolved binary populations in clusters and the field with special emphasis on statistical biases, incompleteness, and distribution functions. It considers different binary types and presents and discusses recent results in the field.

Inhalt
I Observations of Non-Evolved Binaries.- 1 Binary Statistics in Clusters and the Field.- 2 Statistics of non evolved binaries with a B Type Primary.- 3 Massive Binaries.- II Observations of Evolved Binaries.- 4 Cataclysmic Variables, Super-Soft Sources and Double-Degenerates.- 5 Observing Globular Cluster Binaries With Gravitational Radiation.- 6 The Algol-Type Binaries.- 7 Be stars: Single and Binary Components.- 8 Chemically-peculiar Red Giants: Uncovering the Binary Intruders.- 9 Eccentricities of the Barium Stars.- 10 High-Mass X-Ray Binaries and OB-runaway Stars.- 11 The Observed Galactic Wolf-Rayet Star Distribution in Relation with Metallicity.- 12 Systematic Search for Wolf-Rayet Binaries in the Magellanic Clouds: Preliminary Results.- 13 An X-ray Examination of Runaway Stars.- 14 HST FGS1R Observations of 18 Radio Emitting Wolf-Rayet Stars.- III Starbursts, Supernovae, Stellar Winds.- 15 High Energy Emission from Starburst Galaxies: The Role of X-Ray Binaries.- 16 Supernova Types and Rates.- 17 Stellar Winds from Massive Stars.- IV Stellar Evolution.- 18 News on the Evolution of Massive Stars.- 19 Massive Close Binaries.- 20 Massive Single and Binary Star Models: A Comparison.- 21 Chemical Evolution of Low- and Intermediate-Mass Stars.- 22 The Evolution of Intermediate-Mass Binaries.- 23 Close Binaries in Triple Systems.- V Population Synthesis.- 24 The Population of Cataclysmic Variable Systems.- 25 The Population of Close Double White Dwarfs in the Galaxy.- 26 Binary Population Synthesis: Low- and Intermediate-Mass X-Ray Binaries.- 27 Simulating Open Star Clusters.- 28 Binaries and Globular Cluster Dynamics.- 29 The Effect of Tides and Stellar Dynamics on Binary and Cluster Populations.- 30 Massive Star Population Synthesis of Starbursts.- 31 Radioactivitiesin Population Studies: 26Al and 60 Fe from OB Associations.- 32 Binary Population Synthesis: Methods, Normalization and Surprises.- 33 Population Synthesis and Gamma-Ray Burst Progenitors.- 34 General Discussion on Population Synthesis Modelling.- VI Chemical Evolution of Galaxies.- 35 Element Abundances and Galactic Chemical Evolution.- 36 Hypernova Nucleosynthesis and Galactic Chemical Evolution.- 37 The Effect of Binaries on the Chemical Evolution of the Solar Neighbourhood.- VII Poster Papers.- 38 Multi-Colour CCD Photometry of Intermediate Visual Double Stars.- 39 Simulations of The X-ray Output of Evolving Stellar Populations.- 40 The CV Minimum Period Problem.- 41 Resonant Tides in Close Binaries.- 42 Improved Basic Physical Properties of the Oe-Star Binary V1007 Sco.- 43 The rp-Process on Compact Binaries: Importance of Exact Parameters.- 44 Magnetic Activities of Near Contact Binaries.- 45 Metal Abundance of the Eclipsing Binary YZ Cas.- 46 Relativistic Effects to Neutron Star Merger Ejecta.- 47 On the Formation of Oxygen-Neon White Dwarfs in Binary Systems.- 48 Binary Statistics from Hipparcos.