The symbiotic system Z Andromedae : a spectral analysis of the anomalous 1984-1986 outburst

TL;DR

This study analyzes the 1984-1986 outburst of Z Andromedae, revealing it as a single event distorted by shell collisions, through detailed spectral modeling of the system's unusual brightness profile.

Contribution

It provides a detailed spectral analysis showing the outburst was intrinsically single but appeared double-peaked due to shell interactions.

Findings

The outburst was intrinsically single in nature.

Shell collisions caused the double-peaked brightness profile.

Spectral modeling explained the observed distortions.

Abstract

The visual magnitude profile of the symbiotic system Z And during the 1984-1986 activity period appears double peaked and the flux intensity is low compared to outbursts in other epochs. The detailed modeling of the observed spectra, accounting for the shells ejected by the red giant star, shows that the outburst is intrinsically single but distorted by the collision at different phases of the white dwarf wind with two close shells.