A Light Curve Analysis of Classical Novae: Free-free Emission vs. Photospheric Emission

TL;DR

This study models light curves of classical novae, distinguishing free-free and photospheric emission contributions, to estimate their properties and understand deviations from universal decline laws.

Contribution

It introduces a combined emission model for slow and fast novae, improving estimates of nova parameters and explaining brightness deviations.

Findings

Fast novae are dominated by free-free emission in optical bands.

Slow novae show photospheric emission dominance, deviating from the universal decline law.

Model light curves align with observed data and known distances.

Abstract

We analyzed light curves of seven relatively slower novae, PW Vul, V705 Cas, GQ Mus, RR Pic, V5558 Sgr, HR Del, and V723 Cas, based on an optically thick wind theory of nova outbursts. For fast novae, free-free emission dominates the spectrum in optical bands rather than photospheric emission and nova optical light curves follow the universal decline law. Faster novae blow stronger winds with larger mass loss rates. Since the brightness of free-free emission depends directly on the wind mass loss rate, faster novae show brighter optical maxima. In slower novae, however, we must take into account photospheric emission because of their lower wind mass loss rates. We calculated three model light curves of free-free emission, photospheric emission, and the sum of them for various WD masses with various chemical compositions of their envelopes, and fitted reasonably with observational data of optical, near-IR (NIR), and UV bands. From light curve fittings of the seven novae, we estimated their absolute magnitudes, distances, and WD masses. In PW Vul and V705 Cas, free-free emission still dominates the spectrum in the optical and NIR bands. In the very slow novae, RR Pic, V5558 Sgr, HR Del, and V723 Cas, photospheric emission dominates the spectrum rather than free-free emission, which makes a deviation from the universal decline law. We have confirmed that the absolute brightnesses of our model light curves are consistent with the distance moduli of four classical novae with known distances (GK Per, V603 Aql, RR Pic, and DQ Her). We also discussed the reason why the very slow novae are about 1 mag brighter than the proposed maximum magnitude vs. rate of decline relation.