V606 Aql (Nova Aquilae 1899) is now a dwarf nova

TL;DR

This paper reports that V606 Aql, originally a nova from 1899, now exhibits dwarf nova outbursts with a 270-day cycle, supporting the hibernation scenario and indicating a massive white dwarf.

Contribution

It provides the first detection of dwarf nova outbursts in V606 Aql, confirming its transition and supporting the hibernation model of nova evolution.

Findings

V606 Aql shows dwarf nova outbursts with ~1.5 mag amplitude

Outbursts have a typical cycle length of 270 days

Supports the hibernation scenario for nova evolution

Abstract

We found that the 1899 nova V606 Aql currently shows dwarf nova outbursts with a typical cycle length of 270 d and amplitudes of ~1.5 mag using Public Data Release of Zwicky Transient Facility observations. The low mass-transfer rate in quiescence has been suggested to explain the large eruption amplitude (Tappert et al., 2016), and the present detection of dwarf nova outbursts supports this interpretation. The transition to the dwarf nova state more than 100 yr after the nova eruption gives credence to the hibernation scenario. The absolute magnitude estimated from dwarf nova outbursts suggests that V606 Aql should have been a fast nova and the presence of high excitation lines in quiescence would be explained by the presence of a massive white dwarf.