Fully self-consistent nova explosion models reproducing light curves of KT Eri, V339 Del, V597 Pup, and SMC NOVA 2016-10a
Mariko Kato, Izumi Hachisu, Hideyuki Saio
TL;DR
This study addresses the poorly understood rising phase toward the optical maximum in classical novae by constructing fully self-consistent nova explosion models that generate free-free emission-dominated light curves. The authors compute envelopes for $1.25\,M_\odot$ and $1.35\,M_\odot$ white dwarfs and compare the resulting theoretical light curves to KT Eri, V339 Del, V597 Pup, and SMC NOVA 2016-10a, showing that free-free emission dominates near optical maximum and validating the inferred WD masses and distance moduli. The 1.25 $M_\odot$ models reproduce KT Eri, V339 Del, and V597 Pup, while the 1.35 $M_\odot$ models reproduce SMC NOVA 2016-10a; the post-maximum evolution is well approximated by steady-state envelope sequences. This work demonstrates the feasibility and accuracy of fully self-consistent nova light-curve modeling for the rising phase and supports using these models to interpret observed nova parameters and evolution.
Abstract
The rising phase toward the optical maximum of a classical nova is one of the last frontiers of nova study. Constructing free-free emission model light curves based on our fully self-consistent nova explosion models, we present several theoretical light curves of classical novae and compare them with the four novae having the observed rising phase toward the optical maximum. Our 1.25 $M_\odot$ white dwarf (WD) models show excellent agreements with the light curves of KT Eri, V339 Del, and V597 Pup while our 1.35 $M_\odot$ WD models are consistent with the light curves of SMC NOVA 2016-10a. These agreements indicate that the light curves toward the optical maximum of these novae are dominated by free-free emission, rather than by photospheric emission. Our results justify the previously obtained WD masses and distance moduli for these novae, and shows that the post-maximum evolution can be well approximated with the evolution sequences of steady-state envelope solutions.