IUE observations of the shells of RR Pic and GK Per

We present ultraviolet, observations of the resolved shells of the old novae RR Pic (1925) and GK Per (1901). On the assumption that the RR Pic nebula is photoionized by the ultraviolet continuum emitted by the stellar remnant, we conclude that nitrogen is overabundant relative to solar in both the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 1992-09, Vol.258 (1), p.7P-13P
Main Authors: Evans, A., Bode, M. F., Duerbeck, H. W., Seitter, W. C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Astronomy
Astronomy & Astrophysics
cataclysmic variables
circumstellar matter
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
novae
Novae, dwarf novae, recurrent novae, and other cataclysmic (eruptive) variables
Physical Sciences
Science & Technology
Stars
stars: abundances
stars: individual: GK Per
stars: individual: RR Pic
ultraviolet: stars
Variable and peculiar stars (including novae)
Citations: Items that cite this one
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Summary:We present ultraviolet, observations of the resolved shells of the old novae RR Pic (1925) and GK Per (1901). On the assumption that the RR Pic nebula is photoionized by the ultraviolet continuum emitted by the stellar remnant, we conclude that nitrogen is overabundant relative to solar in both the ‘equatorial ring’ and ‘polar blob’ regions; there are steep gradients in the C/O ratio, however. We also find possible evidence for emission by molecular hydrogen in the ‘blob’. There is, in addition, some evidence for abundance gradients in the GK Per nebula, in which excitation is likely to be by shocks rather than by the weak ultraviolet emission of the stellar remnant. The existence of abundance gradients in old nova shells is consistent with the infrared behaviour of recent novae, and must arise during the thermonuclear runaway itself.
ISSN:0035-8711
1365-2966
DOI:10.1093/mnras/258.1.7P