Institute for Advanced Study Informal Astrophysics Seminar

It is becoming an observational reality to catch common envelope episodes and stellar mergers in action as astronomical transients. We think that most compact binaries pass through these phases, where one star becomes engulfed by the envelope of its companion, but many of the details remain uncertain. The detection of associated transients allows us to place constraints on the long-standing theoretical mystery surrounding the nature of mass ejection in common envelope binary star interactions. I will discuss what we stand to learn from studying these events and work in progress toward a synthesis of theoretical modeling with this new observational evidence.