TY - JOUR
T1 - An irradiation effect in Nova DN Gem 1912 and the significance of the period gap for classical novae
AU - Retter, A.
AU - Leibowitz, E. M.
AU - Naylor, T.
PY - 1999/9/1
Y1 - 1999/9/1
N2 - Continuous CCD photometry of the classical nova DN Gem during 52 nights in the years 1992-1998 reveals a modulation with a period of 0.127844 d. The semi-amplitude is about 0.03 mag. The stability of the variation suggests that it is the orbital period of the binary system. This interpretation makes DN Gem the fourth nova inside the cataclysmic variable (CV) period gap, as defined by Diaz & Bruch, and it bolsters the idea that there is no period gap for classical novae. However, the number of known nova periods is still too small to establish this idea statistically. We eliminate several possible mechanisms for the variation, and propose that the modulation is driven by an irradiation effect. We find that model light curves of an irradiated secondary star fit the data well. The inclination angle of the system is restricted by this model to 10° ≲ i ≲ 65°. We also refine a previous estimate of the distance to the binary system, and find d = 1.6 ± 0.6 kpc.
AB - Continuous CCD photometry of the classical nova DN Gem during 52 nights in the years 1992-1998 reveals a modulation with a period of 0.127844 d. The semi-amplitude is about 0.03 mag. The stability of the variation suggests that it is the orbital period of the binary system. This interpretation makes DN Gem the fourth nova inside the cataclysmic variable (CV) period gap, as defined by Diaz & Bruch, and it bolsters the idea that there is no period gap for classical novae. However, the number of known nova periods is still too small to establish this idea statistically. We eliminate several possible mechanisms for the variation, and propose that the modulation is driven by an irradiation effect. We find that model light curves of an irradiated secondary star fit the data well. The inclination angle of the system is restricted by this model to 10° ≲ i ≲ 65°. We also refine a previous estimate of the distance to the binary system, and find d = 1.6 ± 0.6 kpc.
KW - Accretion, accretion discs
KW - Novae, cataclysmic variables
KW - Radiative transfer
KW - Stars: individual: DN Gem
KW - Stars: individual: V1974 Cyg
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0007380572&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.1999.02704.x
DO - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.1999.02704.x
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AN - SCOPUS:0007380572
SN - 0035-8711
VL - 308
SP - 140
EP - 146
JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
IS - 1
ER -