PROBING THE COSMOS WITH WHITE DWARF BINARIES

26 - 30 JULY 2027

GARCHING NEAR MUNICH, GERMANY

 

White dwarf binaries are fundamental astrophysical probes. They serve as ideal laboratories for testing models of binary evolution, which also govern the formation of gravitational wave sources. Their final fate is closely linked to thermonuclear transients, including Type Ia Supernovae (SNe Ia). Furthermore, through nova eruptions and SN Ia explosions, white dwarf binaries inject energy and enriched material into the interstellar medium, driving star formation and shaping the chemical evolution of our Galaxy.

Upcoming Gaia data releases, new wide-area multi-object spectroscopic facilities (4MOST, DESI, WEAVE, and SDSS-V), and deep time-domain surveys like LSST will identify hundreds of thousands of new white dwarf binaries. In addition, several new ESO facilities will offer transformational capabilities, ranging from the upgrade of the VLTI (with GPAO+LGS) to SOXS, MOONS, CUBES and the upcoming first light of the ELT.

In light of this order-of-magnitude increase in observational data, it is important and timely to stimulate collaborations among diverse research communities working on the observations, theoretical modelling, and population statistics of these binaries.

This workshop aims to bring together scientists from complementary sub-fields of white dwarf binaries to define the future trajectory of this rapidly evolving field and foster discussion within the following key areas:

  • Galactic archaeology: white dwarfs in wide binaries are excellent probes of star formation and evolution. The white dwarf cooling rate provides precise age determinations, enabling us to correlate stellar age with properties (such as activity, rotation, and metallicity) derived from companion stars.
  • Binary evolution: the development of evolutionary models is currently limited by a lack of observational constraints on common envelope efficiency and a comprehensive theoretical framework for angular momentum losses. Thanks to their large numbers, proximity, and brightness, white dwarf binaries provide a powerful laboratory to constrain these fundamental mechanisms
  • SN Ia progenitors: while several pathways have been proposed (e.g., single-degenerate, double-degenerate, double-detonation), it remains unclear which specific configurations yield successful explosions and whether multiple pathways coexist.
  • Multi-messenger sources: short-period (<2 hour) white dwarf binaries form a key multi-messenger population, as they are also the most numerous gravitational wave sources in LISA’s millihertz band. At the lowest frequencies, they form an unresolved gravitational wave foreground. Detailed population studies are therefore crucial for constraining their numbers and interpreting LISA data.

 

The workshop will take place at ESO Headquarters in Garching near Munich. 

Registration fees apply.

E-mail: wd_binaries2027@eso.org

Quick links