Evidence for hibernation from a statistical analysis of nova eruption amplitudes
- Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago (Chile)
This study is based on a sample of 97 well-observed galactic novae. First, a linear relation between eruption amplitude and decay time was determined. The residuals from this relation were analyzed for variations of the luminosities of old novae as a function of the time interval between eruption and observation in quiescence. Between 35 and 10 yr before eruption, a marginal increase in brightness may be present. However, in the last decade, four novae were found in an extremely faint low state. During the first 130 yr after the eruption, galactic novae show a slow decrease in brightness with a slope of 2.1 + or - 0.6 mag per century. The results are interpreted in terms of secular variations of the mass transfer rate as expected from the hibernation model. 20 refs.
- OSTI ID:
- 6644377
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal; (USA), Vol. 356; ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
GENERAL PHYSICS
NOVAE
LUMINOSITY
BRIGHTNESS
MASS TRANSFER
SPECTROSCOPY
STATISTICS
VARIABLE STARS
VARIATIONS
ERUPTIVE VARIABLE STARS
MATHEMATICS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
STARS
640102* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources