TY - JOUR
T1 - A universal decline law of classical novae. IV. V838 her (1991)
T2 - A very massive white dwarf
AU - Kato, Mariko
AU - Hachisu, Izumi
AU - Cassatella, Angelo
PY - 2009
Y1 - 2009
N2 - We present a unified model of optical and ultraviolet (UV) light curves for one of the fastest classical novae, V838 Herculis (Nova Herculis 1991), and estimate its white dwarf (WD) mass. Based on an optically thick wind theory of nova outbursts, we model the optical light curves with free-free emission and the UV 1455 Å light curves with blackbody emission. Our models of 1.35 0.02 M ⊙ WD simultaneously reproduce the optical and UV 1455 observations. The mass lost by the wind is ΔM wind ∼ 2 × 10-6 M ⊙. We provide new determinations of the reddening, E(B - V) = 0.53 0.05, and of the distance, 2.7±0.5 kpc.
AB - We present a unified model of optical and ultraviolet (UV) light curves for one of the fastest classical novae, V838 Herculis (Nova Herculis 1991), and estimate its white dwarf (WD) mass. Based on an optically thick wind theory of nova outbursts, we model the optical light curves with free-free emission and the UV 1455 Å light curves with blackbody emission. Our models of 1.35 0.02 M ⊙ WD simultaneously reproduce the optical and UV 1455 observations. The mass lost by the wind is ΔM wind ∼ 2 × 10-6 M ⊙. We provide new determinations of the reddening, E(B - V) = 0.53 0.05, and of the distance, 2.7±0.5 kpc.
KW - Cataclysmic variables
KW - Novae
KW - Stars: individual (V838 Herculis)
KW - Stars: mass loss
KW - Ultraviolet: stars
KW - White dwarfs
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U2 - 10.1088/0004-637X/704/2/1676
DO - 10.1088/0004-637X/704/2/1676
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:70549110029
VL - 704
SP - 1676
EP - 1688
JO - Astrophysical Journal
JF - Astrophysical Journal
SN - 0004-637X
IS - 2
ER -