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| Paper: |
Chandra Observation of the Shell of Classical Nova Persei 1901 (GK Per): A Miniature Supernova Remnant |
| Volume: |
262, The High Energy Universe at Sharp Focus: Chandra Science |
| Page: |
253 |
| Authors: |
Balman, S. |
| Abstract: |
The CHANDRA data of the FIRST resolved and detected classical nova shell in X-rays: the shell of Nova Persei 1901 will be presented. The original discovery of the shell was with the ROSAT HRI, but the CHANDRA data have proven tremendous contribution into the true morphology and the spectrum of the nova shell. The X-ray shell is asymmetric with bulk of emission on the southwestern quadrant (0.0925+/-0.003 c/s). A significant variation of the spectrum of the nebula is not detected so the asymmetric emission is most probably a geometrical effect. The shell is limb brightened in the vicinity where the non-thermal radio peak emission is located. On the otherhand, a non-thermal X-ray component can not be confirmed for the X-ray shell. The X-ray specrtum consists of two-componets of thermal plasma emission. The lower temperature component below 2 keV has kT=0.11-0.18 keV with a flux of 6.5E-13 erg/s/cm2. A distinct emission line of [NeIX] is detected with an enhancement of Ne/Nesun = 13+/-5. This is the FIRST confirmation in X-rays of the enrichment of metals (mizing of core material) prior to the nova outburst in the envelope, comming from a 100 year old remnant. Also, Nitrogent is found to be enhanced, N/Nsun=6+/-3 (possible [NVI] line). The second harder X-ray component is embeded with NH=1.5+/-0.3E22 and very hot kT>30 keV. The X-ray flux is 1.2E-12erg/s/cm2. The detected electron densities are 1-2.2 cm-3 (f=1). A set of EQ and NON-EQ models have been applied to the data to achive these results and most likely the hot component have not reached equilibrium yet. The shocked mass in the shell is <5E-4 Msun consistent with the mass of the nova ejecta. The X-ray luminosities 1031 indicate that the shock is adiabatic and the remnant is in a pre-Sedov or a transition stage to the Sedov phase. Implications of this observation for the standard nova theory in the light of X-ray emission from classical novae and the comparison with HST data will also be elaborated. |
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