2005/11/08 by N. Manset, Manset, N.
Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Astrophysics (astro-ph) #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #FOS: Physical sciences #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.astro-ph/0511204
12 pages, no figures, invited review, conference proceedings, in press
arxiv created 2005/11/08 · openalex publication_date 2005/11/08 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Astronomical polarimetry is a powerful technique that can provide physical information sometimes difficult or impossible to obtain by any other type of observation. Almost every class of binary star can benefit from polarimetric observations: pre-main-sequence objects, close or contact binaries, mass-transfer systems, evolved binaries, 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, identify obscured sources, map starspots, detect magnetic fields, and establish orbital parameters, to name just a few examples. The orbital inclination in particular is a very important piece of information for a binary system because it can lead to the determination of the components' masses, the fundamental parameter that determines a star's initial structure and subsequent evolution. This review will illustrate the usefulness of polarimetric techniques for the study of binary stars, with examples of results obtained for a variety of binary systems, and an overview of models, including those used to retrieve the orbital inclination.