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Diversity of nova eruptions and the role of the mass transfer rate

TYPEAstrophysics Seminar
Speaker:Yael Hillman
Affiliation:Ariel University
Date:28.12.2022
Time:14:30 - 15:30
Location:Lidow 620
Abstract:

A nova is a thermonuclear induced eruption that occurs on the surface of a white dwarf (WD) in a binary system. It is triggered by the accumulation of a critical amount of non-degenerate mass from its companion. The light curve features, as well as the amount of mass ejected and the time between consecutive eruptions, are influenced by a number of factors, the key parameters being the WD mass and the rate at which the mass is accreted. However, this rate is determined by a set of factors that involve not only the properties of the WD, but also of the donor star, orbital period and binary interaction. By using a combined numerical simulation that accounts for the individual evolution of each stellar component, thus allowing the orbital period to be determined organically at each numerical timestep throughout evolution, the accretion rate has been derived and investigated for multiple combinations of WD and donor masses, as well as for different classes of donor stars. The results may serve as guidance in constraining the limits on the parameters of systems that can possibly produce recurrent novae, and that are capable of being progenitors of type Ia supernovae