{
  "id": "astro-ph/0605326",
  "version": "v2",
  "published": "2006-05-12T19:11:54.000Z",
  "updated": "2006-05-30T13:49:02.000Z",
  "title": "X-Ray Emitting Blast Wave from the Recurrent Nova RS Ophiuchi",
  "authors": [
    "J. L. Sokoloski",
    "G. J. M. Luna",
    "K. Mukai",
    "Scott J. Kenyon"
  ],
  "comment": "To appear in Nature; 7 pages, including 2 color figures; removed incorrect statement of embargo policy",
  "doi": "10.1038/nature04893",
  "categories": [
    "astro-ph"
  ],
  "abstract": "Stellar explosions such as novae and supernovae produce most of the heavy elements in the Universe. Although the onset of novae from runaway thermonuclear fusion reactions on the surface of a white dwarf in a binary star system is understood[1], the structure, dynamics, and mass of the ejecta are not well known. In rare cases, the white dwarf is embedded in the wind nebula of a red-giant companion; the explosion products plow through the nebula and produce X-ray emission. Early this year, an eruption of the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi[2,3] provided the first opportunity to perform comprehensive X-ray observations of such an event and diagnose conditions within the ejecta. Here we show that the hard X-ray emission from RS Ophiuchi early in the eruption emanates from behind a blast wave, or outward-moving shock wave, that expanded freely for less than 2 days and then decelerated due to interaction with the nebula. The X-rays faded rapidly, suggesting that the blast wave deviates from the standard spherical shell structure[4-6]. The early onset of deceleration indicates that the ejected shell had a low mass, the white dwarf has a high mass[7], and that RS Ophiuchi is a progenitor of the type of supernova integral to studies of the expansion of the universe.",
  "revisions": [
    {
      "version": "v2",
      "updated": "2006-05-30T13:49:02.000Z"
    }
  ],
  "analyses": {
    "keywords": [
      "recurrent nova rs ophiuchi",
      "x-ray emitting blast wave",
      "white dwarf",
      "runaway thermonuclear fusion reactions",
      "standard spherical shell structure"
    ],
    "tags": [
      "journal article"
    ],
    "note": {
      "typesetting": "TeX",
      "pages": 7,
      "language": "en",
      "license": "arXiv",
      "status": "editable",
      "inspire": 716794
    }
  }
}