# Classical novae vs cataclysmic variables

## TL;DR

This paper compares post-nova systems with general cataclysmic variables, focusing on mass-transfer rates and their relation to nova eruptions, revealing that post-novae are mainly high mass-transfer CVs and suggesting possible effects of eruptions on system properties.

## Contribution

It provides the first comparative analysis of post-novae and CVs, highlighting the role of mass-transfer rates and potential eruption effects on binary system characteristics.

## Key findings

- Post-novae are predominantly high mass-transfer CVs.
- Shorter recurrence times explain the prevalence of high mass-transfer post-novae.
- Evidence suggests eruptions may influence mass-transfer rates in specific cases.

## Abstract

We present a preliminary comparison of the post-nova population with that of general cataclysmic variables (CVs). We particularly focus on the mass-transfer rate and its potential relation to the nova eruption. We find that the known post-nova sample exclusively consists of high mass-transfer CVs, but that this is more likely to be due to the shorter recurrent time for those systems, rather than the mass-transfer rate being affected by the eruption. Nevertheless, we find evidence for such an effect for specific post-novae, and that it is potentially related to the binary separation and to presence or absence of an accretion disc.