X-ray emission from optical novae in M 31

TL;DR

This study investigates X-ray emissions from optical novae in M 31, revealing their durations, outburst behaviors, and implications for white dwarf mass estimates through archival and ongoing observations.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of X-ray counterparts of novae in M 31, including duration, outburst timing, and new pulsation detections, enhancing understanding of nova evolution.

Findings

Over 30% of novae show soft X-ray emission within a year.

Nova SSS states last from months up to 10 years.

Detection of 1105s pulsations in a nova SSS.

Abstract

The first supersoft source (SSS) identification with an optical nova in M 31 was based on ROSAT observations. Twenty additional X-ray counterparts (mostly identified as SSS by their hardness ratios) were detected using archival ROSAT, XMM-Newton and Chandra observations obtained before July 2002. Based on these results optical novae seem to constitute the major class of SSS in M 31. An analysis of archival Chandra HRC-I and ACIS-I observations obtained from July 2004 to February 2005 demonstrated that M 31 nova SSS states lasted from months to about 10 years. Several novae showed short X-ray outbursts starting within 50 d after the optical outburst and lasting only two to three months. The fraction of novae detected in soft X-rays within a year after the optical outburst was more than 30%. Ongoing optical nova monitoring programs, optical spectral follow-up and an up-to-date nova catalogue are essential for the X-ray work. Re-analysis of archival nova data to improve positions and find additional nova candidates are urgently needed for secure recurrent nova identifications. Dedicated XMM-Newton/Chandra monitoring programs for X-ray emission from optical novae covering the center area of M 31 continue to provide interesting new results (e.g. coherent 1105s pulsations in the SSS counterpart of nova M31N 2007-12b). The SSS light curves of novae allow us - together with optical information - to estimate the mass of the white dwarf, of the ejecta and the burned mass in the outburst. Observations of the central area of M 31 allow us - in contrast to observations in the Galaxy - to monitor many novae simultaneously and proved to be prone to find many interesting SSS and nova types.