A General Binary Star Model for the Astronomical Community

关于一颗恒星最基本的信息就是它的质量。最常见的是，恒星质量测定是对绕轨道运行的双星进行的。在这个研究项目中，首席研究员正在继续开发一种通用的双星模型计算机代码，这种代码在最近几十年里改变了分析双星食的方式。威尔逊-德维尼模型代码开创了现在的标准做法，即客观地寻找接近的双星参数，引入了几种同时解决方案，允许直接确定双星成分的光度质量比，并且从一开始就被设计得非常通用，适用于各种各样的双星。该模型可以合成荧光恒星风和大气、极化恒星表面、极化星周结构、x射线脉冲到达时间、全光谱能量分布和其他现象，同时继续重现许多国家数百名用户发现有用的所有双星特征。这个代码现在被许多团体用来确定到附近星系的距离，并继续被用来通过双星来研究恒星的演化，包括发现和研究致密物体（白矮星、中子星、黑洞）。更广泛的影响：该项目的双星计算机模型已经与社区共享了20多年，因此具有广泛影响的悠久历史和非常大量的文献引用记录。在那段时间里，在美国和国外形成了许多合作来开发这种模式。各研究组的大量研究成果对双星领域以及恒星结构、恒星演化和最近的宇宙距离尺度等相关领域产生了重大影响。使用代码的工作影响了同事和学生进入恒星天体物理学，包括双星场。首席调查员与公立学校的学生一起工作，发现他们很欣赏代码中的图像制作功能，以及文档在处理真实数据时鼓励个人互动的方式。

AST-0307561PI WilsonThe most fundamental piece of information about a star is its mass. Most commonly, stellar mass determinations are carried out for orbiting double stars. In this research project, the Principle Investigator is continuing the development of a general binary star model computer code that has, over recent decades, changed the way eclipsing binaries are analyzed. The Wilson-Devinny model code originated the now standard practice of finding close binary parameters impersonally, introduced simultaneous solutions of several kinds, allowed for direct determination of photometric mass ratios for the binary components, and was designed from the beginning to be very general, applying to a wide variety of binaries. The model can be made to synthesize fluorescent stellar winds and atmospheres, polarizing stellar surfaces, polarizing circumstellar structures, X-ray pulse arrival times, full spectral energy distributions, and other phenomena, while continuing to reproduce all binary star features that have been found useful by several hundred users in many countries. The code now is being used by many groups to establish distances to nearby galaxies, and continues to be used to investigate stellar evolution via binaries, including discovery and study of compact objects (white dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes). Broader impact: The binary star computer model of this project has been shared with the community for over 20 years and thus has a long history of broad impact and a record of a very large number of literature citations. Many collaborations were formed in the U.S. and abroad to exploit the model during that time. The large number of publications by the various groups have had a major impact on the binary star field and related fields such as stellar structure, stellar evolution and recently the cosmic distance scale. Work with the code has influenced associates and students to enter stellar astrophysics, including the binary star field. The Principle Investigator works with public school students, and finds them appreciative of the image-making features in the code and the way that the documentation encourages personal interaction in dealing with real data.