The basic physics of stars: determination of sizes, shapes, masses, temperatures and distances with very high resolution optical interferometry

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It is surprising that stars, the basic building blocks of galaxies, are not better characterised. Nailing with high accuracy the basic stellar fundamentals - masses, radii, effective temperatures and luminosities - across the whole range of different stellar types requires the precise, high-resolution, observational data that the Sydney University Stellar Interferometer (SUSI) was designed to provide. Operational with the highest resolution ever attained, the instrument is poised to make inroads into stellar astrophysics. The synthesis of SUSI data with complementary data from national and international collaborators is an exciting prospect for the solution of crucial problems in contemporary astrophysics.