What does an erupting nova do to its red dwarf companion

Journal Article · Mon Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/166053· OSTI ID:7222556

Kovetz, A; Prialnik, D; Shara, M M

During nova eruptions and for decades afterward, the red dwards in cataclysmic binaries are irradiated with hundreds of times more luminosity than they themselves produce. Simulations of the time-dependent irradiation of three red dwarf models (0.25, 0.50, and 0.75 solar mass) are presented. The mass transfer rates forced by irradiation after nova eruption are found to be enhanced by two orders of magnitude because of the irradiation. The time scale for irradiation to become unimportant is that of the white dwarf cooling time scale, a few centuries. These two results support the hibernation scenario of novae, which suggests that novae remain bright for a few centuries after eruption because of irradiation-induced mass transfer. After irradiation decreases mass transfer slows, and some very old novae may then become extremely faint. 26 references.

• Research Organization: Tel Aviv Univ. (Israel); Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7222556
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J.; (United States) Vol. 325; ISSN ASJOA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640102* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BINARY STARS
DWARF STARS
ERUPTIVE VARIABLE STARS
IRRADIATION
LUMINOSITY
MASS TRANSFER
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NOVAE
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RED DWARF STARS
STAR MODELS
STARS
STELLAR RADIATION
TIME DEPENDENCE
VARIABLE STARS