Commission 42 Reports

Triennial Reports

• C42 Triennial Report: 2009-2012
  I. Ribas, M. T. Richards, S. Rucinski, D. H. Bradstreet, P. Harmanec, J. Kaluzny, J. Mikolajewska, U. Munari, P. Niarchos, K. Olah, T. Pribulla, C. D. Scarfe, and G. Torres 2011,
  Proceedings of the IAU, Vol. 7, Transactions T28A, pp. 219 - 226, December 2011
  (DOI: Abstract)
  
  The present report covers the main developments in the field of close binaries during the triennium 2009-2012. In addition to scientific publications, there have been several opportunities for direct interaction of researchers working on close binaries. A number of meetings focused on more or less specific topics have taken place during this past years but the highlight for Commission 42 is arguably IAU Symposium 282 held in 2011 in Slovakia, chaired by Richards and Hubeny. The meeting exploited a strong connection in the methodology and tools used by close binary studies and the rapidly advancing field of exoplanet research. After all, exoplanetary systems are mostly discovered and studied using techniques employed by analyses of close binaries for decades. Modelling of exoplanet radial velocity curves and transiting planet light curves are just particular cases of single-lined and eclipsing binary systems, respectively, with very unequal component properties. As shown by IAU Symposium 282, the synergies between the two fields are strong and potentially very useful. Found below is a summary of the main scientific topics and conclusions from this very successful Symposium.



• C42 Triennial Report: 2006-2009
  S. M. Rucinski, I. Ribas, A. Giménez, P. Harmanec, R. W. Hilditch, J. Kaluzny, P. Niarchos, B. Nordström, K. Oláh, M. T. Richards, C. D. Scarfe, E. M. Sion, G. Torres and S. Vrielmann 2008,
  Proceedings of the IAU, Vol. 4, Transactions T27A, pp. 260 - 266, December 2008
  (DOI: Abstract)
  
  Two meetings of interest to close binaries took place during the reporting period: A full day session on short-period binary stars – mostly CV's – (Milone et al. 2008) during the 2006 AAS Spring meeting in Calgary and the very broadly designed IAU Symposium No. 240 on Binary Stars as Critical Tools and Tests in Contemporary Astrophysics in Prague, 2006, with many papers on close binaries [Hartkopf et al. 2007]. In addition, the book by Eggleton (2006), which is a comprehensive summary of evolutionary processes in binary and multiple stars, was published.
  
  


• C42 Triennial Report: 2003-2006
  A. Giménez, S. Rucinski, P. Szkody, D. Gies, Y.-W. Kang, J. Linsky, M. Livio, N. Morrell, R. Hilditch, B. Nordström, I. Ribas, E. Sion and S. Vrielman 2005,
  Proceedings of the IAU, Vol. 1, Transactions T26A, pp. 259 - 266, December 2005
  (DOI: Abstract)
  
  The triennial report from Commission 42 covers various topics like massive binaries, contact systems, cataclysmic variables and low-mass binary stars. We try in a number of sections to provide an update on the current status of the main research areas in the field of close binaries. It is not a formal review, even complete or comprehensive, but an attempt to bring the main topics on recent research to astronomers working in other fields. References are also not comprehensive and simply added to the text to help the reader looking for deeper information on the subject. For this reason, we have chosen to include references (sometimes incomplete for ongoing work) not in a list at the end but integrated with the main text body. Complete references and additional sources can be easily obtained through web access of ADS or SIMBAD. Furthermore, the summary of papers on close-binary research contained in the Bibliography of Close Binaries (BCB) can be accessed from the web site of Commission 42. I would like to express the gratitude of the commission for the careful work of Colin Scarfe as Editor-in-Chief of BCB and Andras Holl and Attila Sragli for maintaining the web pages of the Commission within the structure of Division V. Finally, K. Olah and J. Jurcsik are gratefully acknowledged for their continued support as editors of the Information Bulletin on Variable Stars (IBVS), also accessible through the commission web page.
  
  


• C42 Triennial Report: 2000-2003
  P. Szkody, A. Giménez, E. F. Guinan, L. Bianchi, H. Drechsel, D. Gies, Y.-W. Kang, J. Linsky, M. Livio, N. Morrell, V. Niemela, Y. Osaki, S. Rucinski, C. Sterken and J. H. Wood 2003,
  Reports on Astronomy, Vol. 25A, pp. 1001 - 1002

Reports on IAU General Assembly Business Meetings

• C42 Report: 2012 IAU General Assembly in Beijing
  I. Ribas, M. Richards, S. Rucinski, D. H. Bradstreet, P. Harmanec, J. Kaluzny, J. Mikolajewska, U. Munari, P. Niarchos, K. Olah, T. Pribulla, C. D. Scarfe, and G. Torres 2012,
  Proceedings of the IAU, Vol. 7, Transactions T28B, December 2012


• C42 Report: 2009 IAU General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro
  S. M. Rucinski, I. Ribas, A. Giménez, P. Harmanec, R. W. Hilditch, J. Kaluzny, P. Niarchos, B. Nordström, K. Oláh, M. T. Richards, C. D. Scarfe, E. M. Sion, G. Torres and S. Vrielmann 2010,
  Proceedings of the IAU, Vol. 6, Transactions T27B, pp. 211-212, December 2010
  (DOI: Abstract)


• C42 Report: 2006 IAU General Assembly in Prague
  A. Giménez, S. M. Rucinski, P. Szkody, D. R. Gies, Y.-W. Kang, J. L. Linsky, M. Livio, N. Morrell, R. W. Hilditch, B. Nordström, I. Ribas, E. Ribas, S. Vrielmann and C. D. Scarfe 2007,
  Proceedings of the IAU, Vol. 3, Transactions T26B, pp. 171 - 172, December 2007
  (DOI: Abstract)


• C42 Report: 2000 IAU General Assembly in Manchester
  E. Guinan, P. Szkody, M. Rodono, L. Bianchi, J. V. Clausen, H. Drechsel, G. Hill, S. J. Kenyon, V. Niemela, Y. Osaki, C. L. Sterken, R. E. Taam, O. Vilhu, J. C. Wheeler, and J. H. Wood 2000