Theoretical Modeling of the Thermal State of Accreting White Dwarfs Undergoing Classical Nova Cycles
Theoretical Modeling of the Thermal State of Accreting White Dwarfs Undergoing Classical Nova Cycles
White dwarfs (WDs) experience a thermal renaissance when they receive mass from a stellar companion in a binary. For accretion rates of less than 10-8 M☉ yr-1, the freshly accumulated hydrogen/helium envelope ignites in a thermally unstable manner that results in a classical nova (CN) outburst and ejection of material. …