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THE 2011 OUTBURST OF RECURRENT NOVA T Pyx: X-RAY OBSERVATIONS EXPOSE THE WHITE DWARF MASS AND EJECTION DYNAMICS.
- Source :
-
Astrophysical Journal . 6/20/2014, Vol. 788 Issue 2, p1-1. 1p. - Publication Year :
- 2014
-
Abstract
- 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]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0004637X
- Volume :
- 788
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Astrophysical Journal
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 96380046
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/788/2/130