Pulsations in close binaries: challenges and opportunities

CoRoT and Kepler provided a precious by-product: a number of eclipsing binaries containing variable stars and, among these, non-radial pulsators. This providential occurrence allows combining independent information from two different phenomena whose synergy yields scientific results well beyond those from the single sources. In particular, the analysis of pulsations in eclipsing binary components throws light on the internal structure of the pulsating star, on the system evolution, and on the role of tidal forces in exciting the oscillations. The case study of the Kepler target KIC 3858884 is illustrative of the difficulties of analysis and of the achievements in this rapidly developing field.