Atmospheric Diagnostics of Stellar Evolution: Chemical Peculiarity, Mass Loss, and Explosion [electronic resource] : Proceedings of the 108th Colloquium of the International Astronomical Union, Held at the University of Tokyo, Japan, 1–4 September 1987 / edited by Ken'ichi Nomoto.

Contents: Chemical Peculiarities as Probe of Stellar Evolution: Main-Sequence Stars. Cool Evolved Stars. Hot Evolved Stars -- Mass-Losing Stars In Different Stages of Evolution: Hot Stars. Cool Stars. Interacting Binaries -- Chemical and Dynamical Structures of Exploding Stars: Novae And Dwarf Novae. Supernovae -- Concluding Remarks -- List of Participants.

This collection of papers describes the evolutionary path of stars of various masses. Observational data and theoretical modeling of the stellar atmosphere and the stellar interior and their interaction are presented, covering chemical peculiarities, mass loss, and explosion, all of which are strongly related to the hydrodynamic evolution of the interior. In particular the supernova SN 1987 A is discussed for the first time in detail, including the underground neutrino observations and the detection of X-rays from the supernova. The study of its progenitor, a B 3 supergiant, was related to the topics of chemical peculiarities and mass loss mechanisms and atmospheric models. The intended readers are professional astronomers and astrophysicists, as well as physicists. The book will also be an important source of information for graduate students.