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Интеллектуальная Система Тематического Исследования НАукометрических данных |
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The merger of two stars is a process that touches many branches of modern astrophysics and is responsible for some of the most spectacular astronomical phenomena. From the explosion of massive stars to the formation of helium sub dwarfs, stellar mergers provide key insight into the physical processes which govern the structure and evolution of stars. Many exotic types of star are thought to be born in stellar mergers: blue stragglers, sub dwarf O and B stars, extreme helium stars, R Coronae Borealis stars, the R stars and V838 Mon to name just a few. Stars may not survive a merger, as in Type Ia supernovae and gamma-ray bursts, or may explode soon afterward, as conjectured for SN 1987A. From a statistical point of view, mergers are expected to be a common outcome of certain types of binary evolution and of the interaction of stars in dense clusters. Many stars may be as yet unrecognized remnants of such mergers, and one would like to know which observational signatures may reveal their history. We will bring together observers and modelers of stellar mergers for a two-week workshop at the Lorentz Centre, Leiden, to discuss debate and advance toward the next generation of observations and simulations of stellar mergers. During both weeks we will concentrate on answering particular scientific questions. The first week will focus on combining observations and theory of merger progenitors and products, while the second week will focus on the merger process itself and associated modeling efforts.