Institute for Advanced Study Informal Astrophysics Seminar

B-type main-sequence (MS) stars (M = 3 - 16 Msun) with closely orbiting stellar companions can evolve to produce Type Ia supernovae, X-ray binaries, millisecond pulsars, gamma ray bursts, and sources of gravitational waves. However, the formation mechanism, intrinsic frequency, and evolution of massive stars and close binaries are not fully understood. Fortunately, wide-field synoptic surveys of eclipsing binaries (EBs) offer a unique perspective into the characteristics of B-type MS binaries. After presenting a brief historical overview, I will discuss how current observations of EBs provide powerful diagnostics for the evolution of binaries and of their host environments. By data mining publicly available photometry of EBs, we have probed portions of the binary parameter space unattainable by other observational techniques. For example, we discovered a new class of nascent EBs in which a large low-mass pre-MS companion discernibly reflects much of the light it intercepts from the hot luminous B-type MS primary. Throughout the seminar, I will emphasize the implications of our EB statistics for the formation and subsequent evolution of massive stars and binaries.