BINARY STARS

BINARY STARS GROUP

The Binary Stars group mainly concentrates on the synthesis of observable quantities for interacting binaries. The observables are spectral energy distributions due to circumstellar gas (Dirk Terrell and R.E. Wilson), photospheric absorption line profiles for rotating stars (Jaydeep Mukherjee and R.E.Wilson), and the Stokes parameters of circumstellar polarization and limb polarization (R.E. Wilson and J.C.Liou). Dirk Terrell's hydrodynamical model has been combined with the Wilson-Liou polarization model. The ultimate goal is to understand binary star mass transfer, mass loss, and formation of particularly interesting or unusual objects.

R.E. Wilson and T.J. Vaccaro are currently interested in studing long orbital period giant systems which may evolve into cataclysmic variables (dwarf + white dwarf interacting binaries)

Faculty

Dr. Robert Wilson

Graduate Students

Todd Vaccaro