The awakening of a classical nova from hibernation
arXiv:1608.04753 · doi:10.1038/nature19066
Abstract
Cataclysmic variable stars (CVs) are close binary systems consisting of a white dwarf (primary) that is accreting matter from a low-mass companion star (secondary). From time to time such systems undergo large-amplitude brightenings. The most spectacular eruptions, over times in brightness, occur in classical novae and are caused by a thermonuclear runaway on the surface of the white dwarf. Such eruptions are thought to recur on timescales of . In between, the system's properties depend primarily on the mass-transfer rate: if it is lower than a /year, the accretion becomes unstable and the matter is dumped onto the white dwarf during quasi-periodic dwarf nova outbursts. The hibernation hypothesis predicts that nova eruptions strongly affect the mass-transfer rate, keeping it high for centuries after the event. Subsequently, the mass-transfer rate should significantly decrease for years, starting the hibernation phase. After that the nova awakes again - with accretion returning to the pre-eruption level and leading to a new nova explosion. The hibernation model predicts cyclical evolution of CVs through phases of high and low mass-transfer. The theory gained some support from the discovery of ancient nova shells around dwarf novae Z Cam and AT Cnc, but direct evidence for considerable mass-transfer changes prior, during and after nova eruptions has not hitherto been found. Here we report long-term observations of the classical nova V1213 Cen (Nova Cen 2009) covering its pre- and post-eruption phases. Within the six years before the explosion, the system revealed dwarf nova outbursts indicative of a low mass-transfer rate. The post-nova is two orders of magnitude brighter than the pre-nova at minimum light with no trace of dwarf nova behavior, implying that the mass-transfer rate increased considerably as a result of the nova explosion.
published in Nature (authors' version)
References in corpus (4)
Cited by in corpus (22)
- New Insights into Classical Novae
- A Nova Outburst Powered by Shocks
- A catalogue of cataclysmic variables from 20 years of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey with new classifications, periods, trends and oddities
- Nova Scorpius 1437 A.D. is now a dwarf nova, age-dated by its proper motion
- Prediction of a red nova outburst in KIC 9832227
- A New Catalogue of Galactic Novae: Investigation of the MMRD relation & Spatial Distribution
- Comprehensive Listing of 156 Reliable Orbital Periods for Novae, Including 49 New Periods
- The first nova eruption in a novalike variable: YZ Ret as seen in X-rays and gamma-rays
- Outbursts of the intermediate-mass black hole HLX-1: a wind instability scenario
- Accurate Pre-Eruption and Post-Eruption Orbital Periods for the Dwarf/Classical Nova V1017 Sgr
- Symbiotic star T CrB as an extreme SU UMa type dwarf nova
- Counterparts of Far Eastern Guest Stars: Novae, supernovae, or something else?
- Life after eruption VIII: The orbital periods of novae
- Catching a nova X-ray/UV flash in the visible? Early spectroscopy of the extremely slow Nova Velorum 2022 (Gaia22alz)
- On the Nature of Long-Period Dwarf Novae with Rare and Low-Amplitude Outbursts
- Confirmation of the planetary nebula nature of HaTr 5. Not the remnant of Nova Sco 1437
- Photometric long-term variations and superhump occurrence in the Classical Nova RR Pictoris
- BC Cassiopeiae: First Detection of IW And-Type Phenomenon Among Post-Eruption Novae
- Infrared spectroscopy of the recent outburst in V1047 Cen (Nova Centauri 2005)
- A Search for recurrent novae among Far Eastern guest stars
- SMSS J130522.47-293113.0: a high-latitude stellar X-ray source with pc-scale outflow relics?
- Old Galactic novae in the eROSITA All Sky Survey