Transients and Variables with LSST

The first half of the twentieth century was dominated by the discovery of explosions (supernovae), erruptions (novae) and variable stars (Cepheid variables).

As we go into this century, LSST, thanks to its large etendue, can be expected to contribute tremendously to the area of transients and variables. Are there events between novae and supernovae? Are there new types of (rare) supernovae? What do coalescence of stars (combination of main sequence, planets, white dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes) result? Are these connected to short hard gamma-ray bursts and LIGO events? LSST is in a position to address these questions.