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The Subaru Seminar is
usually held in Room 104 of the Hilo Base Facility, adjacent
to the main lobby. Everyone is welcome to attend. If you are
interested in giving a seminar, please contact Masayuki
Akiyama by email.
October 5, Tuesday at 13:30pm
"Polarimetry of binary stars: 101 uses of polarimetry for the study of binary stars"
Nadine Manset (CFHT)
Astronomical polarimetry is a powerful technique
that can potentially provide physical information
sometimes difficult or impossible to obtain by any
other type of observation. Almost every type of binary
star can benefit from polarimetric observations:
pre-main-sequence objects, close or contact binaries,
mass-transfer systems, cataclysmic variables, eclipsing
binaries, etc. In these systems, polarimetry can help
determine the geometry of the circumstellar or
circumbinary matter distribution, yield information on
asymmetries and anisotropies in these systems, detect
magnetic fields, map starspots, establish orbital
parameters or stars' sizes. The orbital inclination
is a very important piece of information for a binary
system because it can lead to the determination of
the components' masses, a fundamental parameter
that determines a star's structure and evolution.
This presentation will illustrate the usefulness of
polarimetric techniques for the study of binary stars.