Fireballs, Flares and Flickering: A Semi-analytic, LTE, Explosive Model from Accretion Disks to Supernovae

Abstract

We derive simple analytic expressions for the continuum lightcurves and spectra of flaring and flickering events that occur over a wide range of astrophysical systems. We compare these results to data taken from the cataclysmic variable SS Cygni and also with SN 1987A, deriving physical parameters for the material involved. Fits to the data indicate a nearly time-independent photospheric temperature arising from the strong temperature dependence of opacity when hydrogen is partially ionized.

18 pages, 19 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ

References in corpus (11)

• Catalogue of cataclysmic binaries, low-mass X-ray binaries and related objects (Seventh edition)
• Rapid Oscillations in Cataclysmic Variables
• HST Fine Guidance Sensor Astrometric Parallaxes for Three Dwarf Novae: SS Aurigae, SS Cygni, and U Geminorum
• Detailed Spectroscopic Analysis of SN 1987A: The Distance to the LMC using the SEAM method
• Eclipse mapping of the flickering sources in the dwarf nova V2051 Ophiuchi
• Emission line oscillations in the dwarf nova V2051 Ophiuchi
• Implications of the HST/FGS parallax of SS Cygni on the disc instability model
• Fireball Models for Flares in AE Aquarii
• First Simultaneous Optical and EUV Observations of the Quasi-Coherent Oscillations of SS Cygni
• Multicolor flickering studies of X1822-371
• Keck II spectroscopy of mHz quasi-periodic oscillations in Hercules X-1

Cited by in corpus (7)

• Further Evidence for Variable Synchrotron Emission in XTE J1118+480 in Outburst
• A comparative study of the strength of flickering in cataclysmic variables
• XMM-Newton observation of MV Lyr and the sandwiched model confirmation
• Time lags of the flickering in cataclysmic variables as a function of wavelength
• Interferometric Observations of RS Ophiuchi and the Origin of the Near-IR Emission
• Simultaneous UBVRI observations of the cataclysmic variable AE Aquarii: temperature and mass of fireballs
• The cataclysmic variable AE Aquarii: B-V colour of the flares