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NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2004B-0272 |
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PI: Michael Shara, American Museum of Natural History, mshara@amnh.org
Address: Astrophysics, CPW at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, USA
CoI: David Zurek, American Museum of Natural History
CoI: Chris Martin, Caltech
CoI: Mark Seibert, Caltech
Title: Dwarf Nova Shells and Ejecta.....An Unexpected Discovery
Abstract:
GALEX UV imagery has discovered a 40 arcmin diameter shell
surrounding the Dwarf Nova (DN) Z Cam. The conventional theory (the
"disk instability model"=DIM) of DN does not predict (or explain) DN
shells. The shell may be the remnant of a classical nova explosion
several hundred years ago...finally "proving" that DN and classical
novae are the same systems (Shara et al 1986 ApJ 311, 163).
Alternately, many or most DN may have similar shells...demonstrating
that DIM is wrong and that thermonuclear runaways power DN as well as
classical novae. The proposed narrowband imaging survey of about 40 DN
of various subtypes will cleanly differentiate between these two
possibilities.
National Optical Astronomy Observatory, 950 North Cherry Avenue, P.O. Box 26732, Tucson, Arizona 85726, Phone: (520) 318-8000, Fax: (520) 318-8360
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NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2004B-0272 |
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