Giants of Eclipse: The ζ Aurigae Stars and Other Binary Systems

“Thomas Ake and Elizabeth Griffin invited concise but comprehensive reviews of the important aspects of the observation, analysis, and theory of these uncommon binary systems that offer up rare opportunities for probing the outer atmosphere of a cool giant or supergiant when its hot companion is occulted. … this excellent volume serves as the gateway to the study of these stars for years to come.” (Harold A. McAlister, The Observatory, Vol. 136 (1253), August, 2016)

For many years Dr Griffin pursued research into stellar spectra, principally of composite-spectrum binaries, at Cambridge (UK), supporting it with observations acquired at major telescopes overseas. She now continues those interests in Canada, at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory near Victoria, and makes her observations there. The prime research objectives are to determine the masses and other fundamental parameters of both component stars, and to examine their evolutionary status. She also champions initiatives to recover the information in pre-digital (photographic) observations through programmes of appropriate digitization.

Dr. Ake is a Program Director at Computer Sciences Corporation supporting the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope, the Milkulski Archive for Space Telescopes, and the Kepler Data Management Center projects at Space Telescope Science Institute. His research interests center on evolved stars and binary systems, particularly UV andFUV spectroscopic investigations from space of red giants and supergiants with hot secondary companions. He is currently studying the evolutionary status of cool stars with main sequence B- and A-type secondaries to refine the fundamental stellar parameters of the evolved components.