Searching for nova shells around cataclysmic variables -- II. A second campaign

TL;DR

This study conducted a second observational campaign to detect old nova shells around cataclysmic variables, aiming to test the impact of nova eruptions on mass transfer cycles, but found no new shells and estimated the nova-like phase duration.

Contribution

It provides the first combined estimate of the nova-like phase duration around 3,000 years by analyzing multiple observational campaigns and non-detections.

Findings

No new nova shells detected around 47 CVs.

Estimated nova-like phase lasts approximately 3,000 years.

Supports the theory of cyclic mass transfer influenced by nova eruptions.

Abstract

We report on our second campaign to search for old nova shells around cataclysmic variables (CVs). Our aim was to test the theory that nova eruptions cause cycles in the mass transfer rates of CVs. These mass transfer cycles change the behaviour of CVs during their inter-eruption periods. We examined H-alpha images of 47 objects and found no new shells around any of the targets. Combining our latest results with our previous campaign (Sahman et al. 2015), and the searches by Schmidtobreick et al. (2015) and Pagnotta & Zurek (2016), we estimate that the nova-like phase of the mass transfer cycle lasts approximately 3,000 years.