Complex Velocity Fields in the Shell of T Pyxidis

We present spatially-resolved, moderate-resolution spectrophotometry of the recurrent nova T Pyx and a portion of the surrounding shell. The spectrum extracted from a strip of width 10'' centered on the star shows well-known, strong emission lines typical of old novae, plus a prominent, unfamiliar emission line at 6590 Angstroms. This line, and a weaker companion at 6540 Angstroms which we also detect, have been previously reported by Shahbaz et al., and attributed to Doppler-shifted H alpha emission from a collimated jet emerging from T Pyx. We demonstrate that these lines are instead due to [NII] 6548, 6584 from a complex velocity field in the surrounding nebula. The comments of past workers concerning the great strength of HeII 4686 in T Pyx itself are also reiterated.Comment: 8 pages including 2 figures; Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letter

Chandra observations of the recurrent nova CI Aql after its April 2000 outburst

We report the results of two Chandra observations of the recurrent nova CI Aql at 14 and 16 months after its outburst in April 2000, respectively. The X-ray emission is faint in both cases, without any noticeable change in spectrum or intensity. Although the emission is very soft, it is not luminous enough to be due to late-time H-burning. This implies that the luminous supersoft phase ended even before the time predicted by the most recent calculations. The details of the X-ray spectrum, together with the fact that the observed X-ray intensity is brighter than pre-outburst (1992/1993), suggest that the observed X-ray emission is either due to ionization of the circumstellar material or due to the shocks within the wind and/or with the surrounding medium.Comment: 10 pages ApJ style with 5 figures; accepted for publication in Ap

A Catalog and Atlas of Cataclysmic Variables - The Living Edition

The Catalog and Atlas of Cataclysmic Variables (Edition 1 - 1993) and Edition 2 - 1997) has been a valuable source of information for the cataclysmic variable (CV) community. However, the goal of having a central location for all objects is slowly being lost as each new edition is generated. There can also be a long time delay between new information becoming available on an object and its publication in the catalog. To eliminate these concerns, as well as to make the catalog more accessible, we have created a web site which will contain a ``living'' edition of the catalog. We have also added orbital period information, as well as finding charts for novae, to the catalog.Comment: LaTeX, 8 pages, 4 ps-figures, accepted by PAS

A Theoretical Light-Curve Model for the Recurrent Nova V394 Coronae Austrinae

A theoretical light curve for the 1987 outburst of V394 Coronae Austrinae (V394 CrA) is modeled to obtain various physical parameters of this recurrent nova. We then apply the same set of parametersto a quiescent phase and confirm that these parameters give a unified picture of the binary. The early visual light curve (1-10 days after the optical maximum) is well reproduced by a thermonuclear runaway model on a very massive WD close to the Chandrasekhar limit (1.37 +- 0.01 M_sun). The ensuing plateau phase (10-30 days) is also reproduced by the combination of a slightly irradiated MS and a fully irradiated flaring-up disk with a radius ~1.4 times the Roche lobe size. The best fit parameters are the WD mass 1.37 M_sun, the companion mass 1.5 M_sun (0.8-2.0 M_sun is acceptable), the inclination angle of the orbit i~65-68 degree, and the flaring-up rim ~0.30 times the disk radius. The envelope mass at the optical peak is estimated to be ~6 x 10^{-6} M_sun, which indicates an average mass accretion rate of 1.5 x 10^{-7} M_sun yr^{-1} during the quiescent phase between the 1949 and 1987 outbursts. In the quiescent phase, the observed light curve can be reproduced with a disk size of 0.7 times the Roche lobe size and a rather slim thickness of 0.05 times the accretion disk size at the rim. About 0.5 mag sinusoidal variation of the light curve requires the mass accretion rate higher than ~1.0 x 10^{-7} M_sun yr^{-1}, which is consistent with the above estimation from the 1987 outburst. These newly obtained quantities are exactly the same as those predicted in a new progenitor model of Type Ia supernovae.Comment: 9 pages including 4 figures, to appear in the Astrophysical Journal, Part

The space density of classical novae in the galactic disk

A new determination of the space density of classical novae is presented. Comparison of the properties of nova populations in M3 1, the Galaxy and the LMC, permits to set the outburst rate of novae belonging to the disk of the Galaxy to 5±2.5 novae per year and their outburst density to ρout = ρCN/Tβ = .30 (±0.15) × 10-10 pc-3 yr-1. The frequency distribution of absolute magnitudes at minimum of 24 fast galactic novae suggests an accretion of ṡ> = 2.2 × 1O-9 Msun yr-1 which yields an average recurrence time of TR = 2.3 × 1O4 yr. The absolute space density of classical novae in the galactic disk is then estimated to ρCN = 0.7±0.35 × 10-6. A comparison with previous determinations and recent theoretical predictions is also carried out

Study of nova shells. I. V1229 Aquilae (1970) : nebular expansion parallax and luminosity

The maximum magnitude - rate of decline (MMRD) relation of classical novae is briefly reviewed, and attention is drawn on superluminous and subluminous novae. Such objects play an important role when the MMRD relation is applied to small or magnitude-limited samples of novae. Direct imaging tance, reddening and luminosity are derived. With MV = -6.7, V1229 Aql is 1m fainter than predicted by the MMRD

Modeling of the Super-Eddington Phase for Classical Novae: Five IUE Novae

We present a light curve model for the super-Eddington luminosity phase of five classical novae observed with IUE. Optical and UV light curves are calculated based on the optically thick wind theory with a reduced effective opacity for a porous atmosphere. Fitting a model light curve with the UV 1455 \AA light curve, we determine the white dwarf mass and distance to be (1.3 M_sun, 4.4 kpc) for V693 CrA, (1.05 M_sun, 1.8 kpc) for V1974 Cyg, (0.95 M_sun, 4.1 kpc) for V1668 Cyg, (1.0 M_sun, 2.1 kpc) for V351 Pup, and (1.0 M_sun, 4.3 kpc) for OS And.Comment: 9 pages including 8 figures, to appear in the Astrophysical Journa