THE ASTROPHYSICAL VALUE OF CONTINUOUS PHOTOMETRIC MONITORING FROM THEANTARCTIC PLATEAU

Among the astrophysical researches which will largely benefit from obs ervation from the Antarctic Plateau, we consider those which require h igh-quality, continuous, daylight, uninterrupted observation in the op tical-near-IR region. The systematic study of the stellar micro-oscill ations and surface activity of individual objects, as well as of stell ar associations extended for periods of weeks, will make a fundamental contribution to our knowledge of stellar structure and will ultimatel y provide the physical parameters of the stars. A similar consideratio n applies for the short-period (a few hours to a few days) binaries, w hich include the W UMa contact binaries. These objects are subject to continuously varying light curves associated with surface activity and secular effects, which cannot be adequately studied from the currentl y available ground telescopes. Finally, the exceptional seeing and low background will allow the systematic search for and study of supernov ae in clusters of galaxies at cosmological distances, which will impro ve our knowledge of the geometry of the Universe at z similar to 0.7 - 1.