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Related Experiment Videos

An ancient nova shell around the dwarf nova Z Camelopardalis.

Michael M Shara1, Christopher D Martin, Mark Seibert

  • 1Department of Astrophysics, American Museum of Natural History, 79th Street and Central Park West, New York, New York 10024-5192, USA. mshara@amnh.org

Nature
|March 9, 2007
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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A massive shell around the dwarf nova Z Camelopardalis suggests it has undergone a classical nova eruption. This finding links dwarf novae to the classical nova process, challenging previous understanding of cataclysmic variables.

Area of Science:

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Stellar Evolution
  • Cataclysmic Variables

Background:

  • Cataclysmic variables are binary systems with a white dwarf accreting matter from a red dwarf companion.
  • Dwarf novae exhibit episodic brightening due to accretion disk instabilities.
  • Classical novae are more luminous, involving thermonuclear eruptions and mass ejection.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the nature of the extended shell surrounding the prototypical dwarf nova Z Camelopardalis.
  • To determine if the shell provides observational evidence linking dwarf novae to classical nova events.

Main Methods:

  • Observation and analysis of the extended shell surrounding Z Camelopardalis.
  • Mass estimation of the shell material.
  • Comparison of shell properties with those of classical novae and other astrophysical phenomena.

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Main Results:

  • An exceptionally extended shell, significantly larger than those typically found around classical novae, was detected around Z Camelopardalis.
  • The derived mass of the shell is consistent with that expected from a classical nova eruption.
  • The shell's mass is inconsistent with origins from dwarf nova winds or planetary nebulae.

Conclusions:

  • The observed shell provides strong observational evidence that Z Camelopardalis has experienced a classical nova eruption.
  • This discovery links the prototypical dwarf nova Z Camelopardalis to the classical nova phenomenon.
  • The findings support the theory that white dwarfs in dwarf novae can eventually accrete enough mass to undergo classical nova eruptions.