Techniques for Observing Binaries in Other Galaxies

Abstract

I present an overview of the techniques used for detecting and following up binaries in nearby galaxies and present the current census of extragalactic binaries, with a focus on eclipsing systems. The motivation for looking in other galaxies is the use of eclipsing binaries as distance indicators and as probes of the most massive stars.

5 pages, 1 table, to appear in the proceedings of the IAUS 282 on "From Interacting Binaries to Exoplanets: Essential Modelling Tools" (Tatranska Lomnica, Slovakia, July 2011), Cambridge University Press

References in corpus (3)

• A massive cluster of Red Supergiants at the base of the Scutum-Crux arm
• Towards an Accurate Determination of Parameters for Very Massive Stars: the Eclipsing Binary LMC-SC1-105
• Eclipsing binaries in the MACHO database: New periods and classifications for 3031 systems in the Large Magellanic Cloud

Cited by in corpus (1)

• Identifying Stars of Mass >150 Msun from Their Eclipse by a Binary Companion