On the light-curves of disk and bulge novae

TL;DR

This study analyzes the light curves of novae, revealing distinct spatial distributions for single-peaked and multiple-peaked types using Gaia distances, which suggests different underlying populations.

Contribution

It provides a new classification of nova light curves and links their morphological types to their spatial distribution in the Galaxy.

Findings

Single-peaked novae are concentrated near the Galactic plane.

Multiple-peaked novae are more widely distributed, reaching up to 1000 pc above the plane.

Statistical analysis confirms the two groups are from different populations.

Abstract

We examine the light curves of a sample of novae, classifying them into single-peaked and multiple-peaked morphologies. Using accurate distances from Gaia, we determine the spatial distribution of these novae by computing their heights, $Z$, above the Galactic plane. We show that novae exhibiting a single peak in their light curves tend to concentrate near the Galactic plane, while those displaying multiple peaks are more homogeneously distributed, reaching heights up to 1000 pc above the plane. A KS test rejects the null hypothesis that the two distributions originate from the same population at a significance level corresponding to $4.2\sigma$.