Catalog of 93 Nova Light Curves: Classification and Properties
Richard J. Strope, Bradley E. Schaefer, Arne A. Henden

TL;DR
This paper provides a comprehensive catalog of 93 well-observed nova light curves, including detailed properties, classifications, and analysis of their decline behaviors, serving as a valuable resource for understanding nova eruptions.
Contribution
It introduces a new classification system for nova light curves based on shape and decline time, with detailed property tabulations for each nova.
Findings
Majority of novae have smooth or plateau light curves.
Distinct light curve classes correlate with specific decline times.
The catalog enables better understanding of nova eruption behaviors.
Abstract
We present a catalog of 93 very-well-observed nova light curves. The light curves were constructed from 229,796 individual measured magnitudes, with the median coverage extending to 8.0 mag below peak and 26% of the light curves following the eruption all the way to quiescence. Our time-binned light curves are presented in figures and as complete tabulations. We also calculate and tabulate many properties about the light curves, including peak magnitudes and dates, times to decline by 2, 3, 6, and 9 magnitudes from maximum, the time until the brightness returns to quiescence, the quiescent magnitude, power law indices of the decline rates throughout the eruption, the break times in this decline, plus many more properties specific to each nova class. We present a classification system for nova light curves based on the shape and the time to decline by 3 magnitudes from peak (t3). The…
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