Compton degradation of gamma-ray line emission from radioactive isotopes in the classical nova V2491 Cygni

TL;DR

This paper models the Compton degradation of gamma-ray lines from radioactive isotopes in nova ejecta, successfully explaining observed X-ray spectra and estimating isotope quantities, with implications for gamma-ray observatory detectability.

Contribution

It introduces a numerical Monte Carlo model of gamma-ray transfer in nova ejecta, demonstrating how Compton degradation shapes X-ray spectra and estimating isotope synthesis.

Findings

Reproduces observed X-ray spectra via Compton degradation.

Estimates $^{22}$Na mass synthesized as 3×10^{-5} M_sun.

Ejecta become transparent to gamma-rays within several tens of days.

Abstract

To account for the non-thermal emission from the classical nova V2491 Cygni, we perform a series of numerical calculations of radiative transfer of \gamma-ray photons from the radioactive isotope $^{22}$Na in the matter ejected from a white dwarf. Using a simple wind model for the dynamical evolution of the ejecta and a monte-carlo code, we calculate radiative transfer of the \gamma-ray photons in the ejecta. Repeated scattering of the \gamma-ray photons by electrons in the ejecta, i.e., Compton degradation, results in an extremely flat spectrum in the hard X-ray range, which successfully reproduces the observed spectrum of the X-ray emission from V2491 Cygni. The amount of the isotope $^{22}$Na synthesized in the ejecta is required to be 3\times 10^{-5} M_\odot to account for the flux of the hard X-ray emission. Our model indicates that the ejecta become transparent to the \gamma-ray photons within several tens days. Using the results, we briefly discuss the detectability of the \gamma-ray line emission by the {\it INTEGRAL} gamma-ray observatory and the {\it Fermi} Gamma-ray Space Telescope.