| |
 |
| Paper: |
Comparing Thermonuclear Runaway Conditions in Recurrent and Classical Novae (Invited speaker) |
| Volume: |
401, RS Ophiuchi (2006) and the Recurrent Nova Phenomenon |
| Page: |
131 |
| Authors: |
Townsley, D.M. |
| Abstract: |
The thermonuclear runaway model for recurrent novae (RNe) may invoke three ingredients to reproduce the short recurrence time of these events: (1) a white dwarf (WD) close to the Chandrasekhar limit (2) that the WD be hot and (3) a high accretion rate, dM/dt . The relative importance of each of these is discussed by evaluating how each modifies the thermal structure of the accreting layer of the WD. This comparison shows that, in terms of the runaway ignition mechanism, RNe form a relatively continuous extentsion of Classical Novae (CNe) in short-period binaries accreting due to Roche Lobe overflow. While the WD core temperature is an essential element in setting the conditions of the runaway in those low-dM/dt systems, it is found to be relatively unimportant at the extremely high dM/dt characteristic of RNe. By contrast, both the mass and dM/dt are found to be essential to achieve the short recurrence times observed in RNe such as RS Oph. |
|
|
|
|
|
