A Light-curve Analysis of the X-Ray Flash First Observed in Classical Novae

Abstract

Abstract An X-ray flash, expected in a very early phase of a nova outburst, was at last detected with the SRG/eROSITA in the classical nova YZ Reticuli 2020. The observed flash timescale, luminosity, and blackbody temperature substantially constrain the nova model. We present light-curve models of the X-ray flash for various white dwarf (WD) masses and mass-accretion rates. We have found the WD mass in YZ Ret to be as massive as M WD ∼ 1.3 M ☉ with mass-accretion rates of <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mover accent="true"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>M</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>̇</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:mover> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>acc</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> <mml:mo>∼</mml:mo> <mml:mn>5</mml:mn> <mml:mo>×</mml:mo> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>10</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>10</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> <mml:mo>–</mml:mo> <mml:mn>5</mml:mn> <mml:mo>×</mml:mo> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>10</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>9</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> <mml:mspace width="0.25em"/> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>M</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>☉</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> </mml:math> yr −1 , including the case where the mass-accretion rate is changing between them, consistent with the SRG/eROSITA observation. The X-ray observation confirms the luminosity to be close to the Eddington limit at the X-ray flash. The occurrence of optically thick winds, with the photospheric radius exceeding ∼0.1 R ☉ , terminated the X-ray flash of YZ Ret by strong absorption. This sets a constrain on the starting time of wind mass loss. A slight contamination of the hydrogen-rich envelope by the core material seems to be preferred to explain the very short duration of the X-ray flash.

Topics & Concepts