TY - GEN
T1 - Gamma rays and X-rays from classical novae
AU - Truran, James W.
AU - Starrfield, Sumner
PY - 1993/1/1
Y1 - 1993/1/1
N2 - The thermonuclear runaways occurring in accreted hydrogen shells on white dwarfs in close binary systems, that define the outbursts of the classical novae, provide an environment in which explosive hydrogen burning can produce significant concentrations of the interesting longer lived radioactive isotopes 7 Be (τ 1/2 =53.28 days), 22 Na,( τ 1/2 =2.605 years), and 26 Al (τ 1/2 =7.2×10 5 years), as well as of the short-lived positron-unstable isotopes 13 N, 14 O, 15 O, 17 F, and 18 F. It follows that nearby novae may produce flux levels of gamma rays, during several phases of their evolution, that are detectible with the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. We briefly review the theoretical and observational picture with regard to the identified potential sources of gamma rays from novae. In particular, we reexamine the current situation regarding the production of 7 Be, 22 Na, and 26 Al in nova outbursts, and provide updated estimates of the expected fluxes of 7 Be and 22 Na gamma rays from individual nova events. Expectations for X-rays from novae are also noted.
AB - The thermonuclear runaways occurring in accreted hydrogen shells on white dwarfs in close binary systems, that define the outbursts of the classical novae, provide an environment in which explosive hydrogen burning can produce significant concentrations of the interesting longer lived radioactive isotopes 7 Be (τ 1/2 =53.28 days), 22 Na,( τ 1/2 =2.605 years), and 26 Al (τ 1/2 =7.2×10 5 years), as well as of the short-lived positron-unstable isotopes 13 N, 14 O, 15 O, 17 F, and 18 F. It follows that nearby novae may produce flux levels of gamma rays, during several phases of their evolution, that are detectible with the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. We briefly review the theoretical and observational picture with regard to the identified potential sources of gamma rays from novae. In particular, we reexamine the current situation regarding the production of 7 Be, 22 Na, and 26 Al in nova outbursts, and provide updated estimates of the expected fluxes of 7 Be and 22 Na gamma rays from individual nova events. Expectations for X-rays from novae are also noted.
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U2 - 10.1063/1.44165
DO - 10.1063/1.44165
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:5244358000
T3 - AIP Conference Proceedings
SP - 163
EP - 167
BT - Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory
A2 - Gehrels, Neil
A2 - Friedlander, Michael W.
A2 - Macomb, Daryl J.
PB - American Institute of Physics Inc.
T2 - Compton Symposium
Y2 - 15 October 1992 through 17 October 1992
ER -