Mass Transfer in Close Binary Stars

Different aspects of the mass-transfer problem in binary stars are concisely presented in this book. In recent years, signficant advances have been made in the numerical simulation of mass-transfer processes. This is the first book to give a thorough introduction to these numerical approaches, setting out the basic principles and giving many practical examples of their use. Background theory and a brief review of the available observational evidence of mass transfer in binaries are also presented. This book is intended for specialists in the fields of astrophysics, observational astronomy, and stellar evolution, and will be of interest to those dealing with mechanics, gas dynamics, and computer modelling of astrophysical and versatile physical processes. It will be useful for graduate and post-graduate students training in the above disciplines and related areas, as well as to qualified readers with a physical/mathematical background, curious to know more about the processes occuring in binary stars.