Slow expansion of the shell of the recurrent nova T Pyxidis and detection of a faint extended envelope

Journal Article · Tue Jan 31 23:00:00 EST 1989 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/167143· OSTI ID:6018323

Shara, M M; Moffat, A F.J.; Williams, R E; Cohen, J G

New H-alpha narrow-based CCD imaging of the recurrent nova T Pyxidis and the detection of a very faint, extended H-alpha halo surrounding the already known shell are reported. A forbidden O III image containing an emitting shell with a morphology different from that of the H-alpha shell is presented, and measurements of the H-alpha shell expansion are reported which rule out the 1966 eruption date for the shell origin, assuming uniform expansion. It is proposed that the observed shell consists of slowly moving, solar abundance ejecta which are photoionized. 18 references.

• Research Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Greenbelt, MD (USA). Goddard Space Flight Center; NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt (USA); Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD (USA); Montreal Universite (Canada); Observatorio Interamericano de Cerro Tololo, La Serena (Chile); Palomar Observatory, Pasadena, CA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6018323
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J.; (United States) Vol. 337; ISSN ASJOA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640105* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Galaxies
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BALMER LINES
ERUPTIVE VARIABLE STARS
EXPANSION
IMAGE PROCESSING
IONIZATION
MASS TRANSFER
MORPHOLOGY
NEBULAE
NOVAE
ORIGIN
PHOTOIONIZATION
PLANETARY NEBULAE
PROCESSING
SPECTROSCOPY
STARS
TELESCOPES
VARIABLE STARS