Abstract
A classical nova results from runaway thermonuclear explosions on the surface of a white dwarf that accretes matter from a low-mass main-sequence stellar companion. In 2012 and 2013, three novae were detected in γ rays and stood in contrast to the first γ-ray-detected nova V407 Cygni 2010, which belongs to a rare class of symbiotic binary systems. Despite likely differences in the compositions and masses of their white dwarf progenitors, the three classical novae are similarly characterized as soft-spectrum transient γ-ray sources detected over 2- to 3-week durations. The γ-ray detections point to unexpected high-energy particle acceleration processes linked to the mass ejection from thermonuclear explosions in an unanticipated class of Galactic γ-ray sources.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 554-558 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Science |
| Volume | 345 |
| Issue number | 6196 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Aug 2014 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Multidisciplinary
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