Nova Explosions in 2040

TL;DR

This paper discusses the current challenges and future research directions in understanding nova explosions, emphasizing the need for rapid, multi-wavelength observations and advanced spectroscopy to address key open questions about ejecta and binary systems.

Contribution

It outlines a comprehensive research agenda for nova studies in the 2040s, highlighting technological and observational strategies to advance the field.

Findings

Identifies key open questions about nova ejecta and binary systems.

Emphasizes the importance of high-cadence, multi-wavelength observations.

Recommends systematic high-resolution spectroscopy from eruption to quiescence.

Abstract

Novae are thermonuclear explosions on the surface of accreting white dwarfs and are key laboratories for studying explosive nucleosynthesis, particle acceleration, shock physics, and binary evolution. Despite major progress driven by wide-field time-domain surveys and multi-wavelength facilities, our understanding of nova explosions remains limited by incomplete temporal coverage, heterogeneous spectroscopic follow-up, and poorly constrained ejecta properties. In this white paper we outline the open scientific questions that will define nova research in the 2040s, focusing on the mass, composition, geometry, and dynamics of the ejecta, the role of the underlying binary system, and the connection between nuclear burning, shocks, and emission across the electromagnetic spectrum. We argue that decisive progress requires rapid-response, high-cadence, multi-wavelength observations, anchored by systematic high-resolution optical and near-infrared spectroscopy from eruption to quiescence. Finally, we identify key technological requirements needed to enable transformative advances in the physics of nova explosions over the coming decades.