A strong shock during a nova outburst: an origin of multiple velocity systems in optical spectra and of high-energy emissions

TL;DR

This paper presents a theoretical model explaining multiple velocity systems in nova spectra as resulting from a strong shock formed by colliding ejected materials, which also accounts for high-energy emissions like X-rays and gamma rays.

Contribution

It introduces a self-consistent nova explosion model that links shock formation to observed spectral features and high-energy emissions, providing a unified explanation for nova outburst phenomena.

Findings

Shock forms outside the photosphere due to colliding ejecta.

The nova ejecta is divided into three parts contributing to different spectral systems.

The shock explains observed hard X-ray emissions and gamma-ray production.

Abstract

We propose a theoretical explanation of absorption/emission line systems in classical novae based on a fully self-consistent nova explosion model. We found that a reverse shock is formed far outside the photosphere ($\gtrsim 10^{13}$ cm) because later-ejected mass with a faster velocity collides with earlier-ejected matter. Optically thick winds blow continuously at a rate of $\sim 10^{-4} ~M_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$ near the optical maximum, but its velocity decreases toward the optical maximum and increases afterward, so that the shock arises only after the optical maximum. The nova ejecta is divided by the shock into three parts, the outermost expanding gas (earliest wind before maximum), shocked shell, and inner fast wind, which respectively contribute to pre-maximum, principal, and diffuse-enhanced absorption/emission line systems. A large part of nova ejecta is eventually confined to the shocked shell. The appearance of the principal system is consistent with the emergence of a shock. This shock is strong enough to explain thermal hard X-ray emissions. The shocked layer has a high temperature of $k T_{\rm sh} \sim 1$ keV $\times ((v_{\rm wind} - v_{\rm shock})/{\rm 1000 ~km~s}^{-1})^2 ={\rm 1 ~keV}\times ((v_{\rm d} - v_{\rm p})/{\rm 1000 ~km~s}^{-1})^2$, where $v_{\rm d} - v_{\rm p}$ is the velocity difference between the diffuse-enhanced ($v_{\rm d}$) and principal ($v_{\rm p}$) systems. We compare a 1.3 $M_\odot$ white dwarf model with the observational properties of the GeV gamma-ray detected classical nova V5856 Sgr (ASASSN-16ma) and discuss what kind of novae can produce GeV gamma-ray emissions.