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The shell of the classical nova V5668 Sgr was resolved by ALMA at the frequency of 230 GHz 927 d after eruption, showing that most of the continuum bremsstrahlung emission originates in clumps with diameter smaller than 1015 cm. Using Very Large Array radio observations, obtained between days 2 and 1744 after eruption, at frequencies between 1 and 35 GHz, we modelled the nova spectra, assuming first that the shell is formed by a fixed number of identical clumps, and afterwards with the clumps having a power-law distribution of sizes, and were able to obtain the clump's physical parameters (radius, density, and temperature). We found that the density of the clumps decreases linearly with the increase of the shell's volume, which is compatible with the existence of a second media, hotter and thinner, in pressure equilibrium with the clumps. We show that this thinner media could be responsible for the emission of the hard X-rays observed at the early times of the nova eruption, and that the clump's temperature evolution follows that of the super-soft X-ray luminosity. We propose that the clumps were formed in the radiative shock produced by the collision of the fast wind of the white dwarf after eruption, with the slower velocity of the thermonuclear ejecta. From the total mass of the clumps, the observed expansion velocity and thermonuclear explosion models, we obtained an approximate value of 1.25 M⊙ for the mass of the white dwarf, a central temperature of 107 K and an accretion rate from the secondary star of 10−9–10−8 M⊙ yr−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present radio observations of the symbiotic recurrent nova V3890 Sagitarii following the 2019 August eruption obtained with the MeerKAT radio telescope at 1.28 GHz and Karl G. Janksy Very Large Array (VLA) at 1.26−35 GHz. The radio light curves span from day 1 to 540 days after eruption and are dominated by synchrotron emission produced by the expanding nova ejecta interacting with the dense wind from an evolved companion in the binary system. The radio emission is detected early on (day 6) and increases rapidly to a peak on day 15. The radio luminosity increases due to a decrease in the opacity of the circumstellar material in front of the shocked material and fades as the density of the surrounding medium decreases and the velocity of the shock decelerates. Modelling the light curve provides an estimated mass-loss rate of |${\overset{\hbox{$\bullet $}}{M}}_{\textrm {wind}} \approx 10^{-8}\, {\textrm {M}}_\odot ~{\textrm {yr}}^{-1}$| from the red giant star and ejecta mass in the range of M ej = 10−5––10−6 M⊙ from the surface of the white dwarf. V3890 Sgr likely hosts a massive white dwarf similar to other symbiotic recurrent novae, thus considered a candidate for supernovae type Ia (SNe Ia) progenitor. However, its radio flux densities compared to upper limits for SNe Ia have ruled it out as a progenitor for SN 2011fe like supernovae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discovery that many classical novae produce detectable GeV γ-ray emission has raised the question of the role of shocks in nova eruptions. Here, we use radio observations of nova V809 Cep (nova Cep 2013) with the Jansky Very Large Array to show that it produced non-thermal emission indicative of particle acceleration in strong shocks for more than a month starting about 6 weeks into the eruption, quasi-simultaneous with the production of dust. Broadly speaking, the radio emission at late times – more than 6 months or so into the eruption – is consistent with thermal emission from |$10^{-4}\, {\rm M}_\odot$| of freely expanding, 104 K ejecta. At 4.6 and 7.4 GHz, however, the radio light curves display an initial early-time peak 76 d after the discovery of the eruption in the optical (t 0). The brightness temperature at 4.6 GHz on day 76 was greater than 105 K, an order of magnitude above what is expected for thermal emission. We argue that the brightness temperature is the result of synchrotron emission due to internal shocks within the ejecta. The evolution of the radio spectrum was consistent with synchrotron emission that peaked at high frequencies before low frequencies, suggesting that the synchrotron from the shock was initially subject to free–free absorption by optically thick ionized material in front of the shock. Dust formation began around day 37, and we suggest that internal shocks in the ejecta were established prior to dust formation and caused the nucleation of dust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peaking at 3.7 mag on 2020 July 11, YZ Ret was the second-brightest nova of the decade. The nova's moderate proximity (2.7 kpc, from Gaia) provided an opportunity to explore its multiwavelength properties in great detail. Here, we report on YZ Ret as part of a long-term project to identify the physical mechanisms responsible for high-energy emission in classical novae. We use simultaneous Fermi /LAT and NuSTAR observations complemented by XMM–Newton X-ray grating spectroscopy to probe the physical parameters of the shocked ejecta and the nova-hosting white dwarf. The XMM–Newton observations revealed a supersoft X-ray emission which is dominated by emission lines of C  v , C  vi , N  vi , N  vii , and O  viii rather than a blackbody-like continuum, suggesting CO-composition of the white dwarf in a high-inclination binary system. Fermi /LAT-detected YZ Ret for 15 d with the γ -ray spectrum best described by a power law with an exponential cut-off at 1.9 ± 0.6 GeV. In stark contrast with theoretical predictions and in keeping with previous NuSTAR observations of Fermi -detected classical novae (V5855 Sgr and V906 Car), the 3.5–78-keV X-ray emission is found to be two orders of magnitude fainter than the GeV emission. The X-ray emission observed by NuSTAR is consistent with a single-temperature thermal plasma model. We do not detect a non-thermal tail of the GeV emission expected to extend down to the NuSTAR band. NuSTAR observations continue to challenge theories of high-energy emission from shocks in novae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-ray observations of shocked gas in novae can provide a useful probe of the dynamics of the ejecta. Here we report on X-ray observations of the nova V959 Mon, which was also detected in GeV gamma-rays with the Fermi satellite. We find that the X-ray spectra are consistent with a two-temperature plasma model with non-solar abundances. We interpret the X-rays as due to shock interaction between the slow equatorial torus and the fast polar outflow that were inferred from radio observations of V959 Mon. We further propose that the hotter component, responsible for most of the flux, is from the reverse shock driven into the fast outflow. We find a systematic drop in the column density of the absorber between days 60 and 140, consistent with the expectations for such a picture. We present intriguing evidence for a delay of around 40 d in the expulsion of the ejecta from the central binary. Moreover, we infer a relatively small (a few times 10−6 M⊙) ejecta mass ahead of the shock, considerably lower than the mass of 104 K gas inferred from radio observations. Finally, we infer that the dominant X-ray shock was likely not radiative at the time of our observations, and that the shock power was considerably higher than the observed X-ray luminosity. It is unclear why high X-ray luminosity, closer to the inferred shock power, is never seen in novae at early times, when the shock is expected to have high enough density to be radiative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the Fermi Large Area Telescope detection (with ≈5.7σ significance) as well as the multiwavelength analysis of the 2017 nova eruption V549 Vel. Unlike the recent shock-powered novae ASASSN-16ma and V906 Car, the optical and γ-ray light curves of V549 Vel show no correlation, likely implying relatively weak shocks in the eruption. Gaia detected a candidate progenitor of V549 Vel and found a parallax measurement of ϖ = 1.91 ± 0.39 mas, equivalent to a mode distance of d ≈ 560 pc (90% credible interval of 380–1050 pc). The progenitor was also observed by the 2MASS and WISE surveys. When adopting the Gaia distance, the spectral energy distribution of the progenitor is close to that of a G-type star. The Swift X-Ray Telescope detected the supersoft X-ray emission of the nova (kT = 30–40 keV) since day 236, and the inferred blackbody size is comparable to that of other novae assuming d ≈ 560 pc (i.e., Rbb ∼ 5 × 108 cm). However, there is also an unknown astrometric excess noise of ϵi = 3.2 mas found in the Gaia data, and the inferred distance becomes controversial. If the Gaia distance is accurate, the γ-ray luminosity of V549 Vel will be as low as Lγ ∼ 4 × 1033 erg s−1, making it the least luminous γ-ray nova known so far. This may imply that the shock properties responsible for the γ-ray emission in V549 Vel are different from those of the more luminous events. If the nova is located farther away, it is likely a symbiotic system with a giant companion as the observed progenitor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shocks in γ-ray emitting classical novae are expected to produce bright thermal and non-thermal X-rays. We test this prediction with simultaneous NuSTAR and Fermi /LAT observations of nova V906 Car, which exhibited the brightest GeV γ-ray emission to date. The nova is detected in hard X-rays while it is still γ-ray bright, but contrary to simple theoretical expectations, the detected 3.5–78 keV emission of V906 Car is much weaker than the simultaneously observed >100 MeV emission. No non-thermal X-ray emission is detected, and our deep limits imply that the γ-rays are likely hadronic. After correcting for substantial absorption (N H ≈ 2 × 1023 cm−2), the thermal X-ray luminosity (from a 9 keV optically thin plasma) is just ∼2 per cent of the γ-ray luminosity. We consider possible explanations for the low thermal X-ray luminosity, including the X-rays being suppressed by corrugated, radiative shock fronts or the X-rays from the γ-ray producing shock are hidden behind an even larger absorbing column (N H > 1025 cm−2). Adding XMM–Newton and Swift /XRT observations to our analysis, we find that the evolution of the intrinsic X-ray absorption requires the nova shell to be expelled 24 d after the outburst onset. The X-ray spectra show that the ejecta are enhanced in nitrogen and oxygen, and the nova occurred on the surface of a CO-type white dwarf. We see no indication of a distinct supersoft phase in the X-ray light curve, which, after considering the absorption effects, may point to a low mass of the white dwarf hosting the nova. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the F ermi discovery of γ -rays from novae, one of the biggest questions in the field has been how novae generate such high-energy emission. Shocks must be a fundamental ingredient. Six months of radio observations of the 2012 Nova V5589 Sgr with the VLA and 15 weeks of X-ray observations with Swift/XRT show that the radio emission consisted of: (1) a shock-powered, non-thermal flare; and (2) weak thermal emission from 10-5 M☉ of freely expanding, photoionized ejecta. Absorption features in the optical spectrum and the peak optical brightness suggest that V5589 Sgr lies 4 kpc away (3.2-4.6 kpc). The shockpowered flare dominated the radio light curve at low frequencies before day 100. The spectral evolution of the radio flare, its high radio brightness temperature, the presence of unusually hard (kTx > 33 keV) X-rays, and the ratio of radio to X-ray flux near radio maximum all support the conclusions that the flare was shock-powered and non-thermal. Unlike most other novae with strong shock-powered radio emission, V5589 Sgr is not embedded in the wind of a red-giant companion. Based on the similar inclinations and optical line profiles of V5589 Sgr and V959 Mon, we propose that shocks in V5589 Sgr formed from collisions between a slow flow with an equatorial density enhancement and a subsequent faster flow. We speculate that the relatively high speed and low mass of the ejecta led to the unusual radio emission from V5589 Sgr, and perhaps also to the non-detection of γ -rays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of shocks in nova explosions has been highlighted by Fermi's discovery of γ-ray-producing novae. Over three years of multiband Very Large Array radio observations of the 2010 nova V1723 Aql show that shocks between fast and slow flows within the ejecta led to the acceleration of particles and the production of synchrotron radiation. Soon after the start of the eruption, shocks in the ejecta produced an unexpected radio flare, resulting in a multipeaked radio light curve. The emission eventually became consistent with an expanding thermal remnant with mass 2 × 10-4M☉ and temperature 104 K. However, during the first two months, the ≳106 K brightness temperature at low frequencies was too high to be due to thermal emission from the small amount of X-ray-producing shock-heated gas. Radio imaging showed structures with velocities of 400 km s-1 (d/6 kpc) in the plane of the sky, perpendicular to a more elongated 1500 km s-1 (d/6 kpc) flow. The morpho-kinematic structure of the ejecta from V1723 Aql appears similar to nova V959 Mon, where collisions between a slow torus and a faster flow collimated the fast flow and gave rise to γ-ray-producing shocks. Optical spectroscopy and X-ray observations of V1723 Aql during the radio flare are consistent with this picture. Our observations support the idea that shocks in novae occur when a fast flow collides with a slow collimating torus. Such shocks could be responsible for hard X-ray emission, γ-ray production, and double-peaked radio light curves from some classical novae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classical novae are the most common astrophysical thermonuclear explosions, occurring on the surfaces of white dwarf stars accreting gas from companions in binary star systems. Novae typically expel about 10−4 solar masses of material at velocities exceeding 1,000 kilometres per second. However, the mechanism of mass ejection in novae is poorly understood, and could be dominated by the impulsive flash of thermonuclear energy, prolonged optically thick winds or binary interaction with the nova envelope. Classical novae are now routinely detected at gigaelectronvolt γ-ray wavelengths, suggesting that relativistic particles are accelerated by strong shocks in the ejecta. Here we report high-resolution radio imaging of the γ-ray-emitting nova V959 Mon. We find that its ejecta were shaped by the motion of the binary system: some gas was expelled rapidly along the poles as a wind from the white dwarf, while denser material drifted out along the equatorial plane, propelled by orbital motion. At the interface between the equatorial and polar regions, we observe synchrotron emission indicative of shocks and relativistic particle acceleration, thereby pinpointing the location of γ-ray production. Binary shaping of the nova ejecta and associated internal shocks are expected to be widespread among novae, explaining why many novae are γ-ray emitters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novae, which are the sudden visual brightening triggered by runaway thermonuclear burning on the surface of an accreting white dwarf, are fairly common and bright events. Despite their astronomical significance as nearby laboratories for the study of nuclear burning and accretion phenomena, many aspects of these common stellar explosions are observationally not well-constrained and remain poorly understood. Radio observations, modeling and interpretation can potentially play a crucial role in addressing some of these puzzling issues. In this review on radio studies of novae, we focus on the possibility of testing and improving the nova models with radio observations, and present a current status report on the progress in both the observational front and theoretical developments. We specifically address the issues of accurate estimation of ejecta mass, multi-phase and complex ejection phenomena, and the effect of a dense environment around novae. With highlights of new observational results, we illustrate how radio observations can shed light on some of these long-standing puzzles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recurrent nova T Pyx underwent its sixth historical outburst in 2011, and became the subject of an intensive multi-wavelength observational campaign. We analyze data from the Swift and Suzaku satellites to produce a detailed X-ray light curve augmented by epochs of spectral information. X-ray observations yield mostly non-detections in the first four months of outburst, but both a super-soft and hard X-ray component rise rapidly after Day 115. The super-soft X-ray component, attributable to the photosphere of the nuclear-burning white dwarf, is relatively cool (∼45 eV) and implies that the white dwarf in T Pyx is significantly below the Chandrasekhar mass (∼1 M☼). The late turn-on time of the super-soft component yields a large nova ejecta mass (≳ 10–5M☼), consistent with estimates at other wavelengths. The hard X-ray component is well fit by a ∼1 keV thermal plasma, and is attributed to shocks internal to the 2011 nova ejecta. The presence of a strong oxygen line in this thermal plasma on Day 194 requires a significantly super-solar abundance of oxygen and implies that the ejecta are polluted by white dwarf material. The X-ray light curve can be explained by a dual-phase ejection, with a significant delay between the first and second ejection phases, and the second ejection finally released two months after outburst. A delayed ejection is consistent with optical and radio observations of T Pyx, but the physical mechanism producing such a delay remains a mystery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite being the prototype of its class, T Pyx is arguably the most unusual and poorly understood recurrent nova. Here, we use radio observations from the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array to trace the evolution of the ejecta over the course of the 2011 outburst of T Pyx. The radio emission is broadly consistent with thermal emission from the nova ejecta. However, the radio flux began rising surprisingly late in the outburst, indicating that the bulk of the radio-emitting material was either very cold, or expanding very slowly, for the first ∼50 days of the outburst. Considering a plausible range of volume filling factors and geometries for the ejecta, we find that the high peak flux densities of the radio emission require a massive ejection of (1-30) × 10–5M☼. This ejecta mass is much higher than the values normally associated with recurrent novae, and is more consistent with a nova on a white dwarf well below the Chandrasekhar limit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classical nova events in symbiotic stars, although rare, offer a unique opportunity to probe the interaction between ejecta and a dense environment in stellar explosions. In this work, we use X-ray data obtained with Swift and Suzaku during the recent classical nova outburst in V407 Cyg to explore such an interaction. We find evidence of both equilibrium and non-equilibrium ionization plasmas at the time of peak X-ray brightness, indicating a strong asymmetry in the density of the emitting region. Comparing a simple model to the data, we find that the X-ray evolution is broadly consistent with nova ejecta driving a forward shock into the dense wind of the Mira companion. We detect a highly absorbed soft X-ray component in the spectrum during the first 50 days of the outburst that is consistent with supersoft emission from the nuclear burning white dwarf. The high temperature and short turnoff time of this emission component, in addition to the observed breaks in the optical and UV light curves, indicate that the white dwarf in the binary is extremely massive. Finally, we explore the connections between the X-ray and GeV γ-ray evolution, and propose that the gamma-ray turnoff is due to the stalling of the forward shock as the ejecta reach the red giant surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]