IAU Symposium 252

As a unique link between sub-atomic physics and cosmological processes, stellar astrophysics has been a fundamental subject in astronomy. The theory of stellar structure and evolution is of special astrophysical significance, in that it is related to phenomena with temporal coverage from the re-ionization of the early universe to the final stages of stars. With the advent of a new generation of large telescopes and new technologies, we will be able to explore the more remote regions of the universe, which are beyond the reach of current facilities. This in turn will make it feasible to investigate the otherwise inaccessible extreme physical conditions. Thanks to the advances in the computation technology, certain subtle yet important physical processes, which have historically been approximated or neglected because of limited computing power, can finally be incorporated into more realistic stellar evolution models. Processes now becoming accessible to more detailed modeling include convection, mass loss, events departing from spherical symmetry and processes taking place on a short time scale relative to the evolution. Examples of the latter are supernova explosions and helium core and shell flashing. To reflect the recent advances and future envision of this field, the symposium will cover the following topics: －Improvements in the physical ingredients of stellar models －Progresses in our understanding of physical processes －The evolution of single stars of different masses - The evolution of close binary stars - Constraints on stellar models in the era of very large telescopes. The meeting site is Sanya, the only tropical city in China. The symposium is going to take place in a very nice hotel near the beautiful bay in Sanya called Da-Dong-Hai. Sanya was only a small fishing village 20 years ago; it is now a modern city and is turning more and more international. We believe that you will enjoy this setting as well as a fruitful scientific meeting.