T Pyxidis: Recurrent Nova
Credit & Copyright: M. Shara, R. Williams,
(STScI),
R. Gilmozzi (ESO),
NASA
Explanation:
What happens when a
thermonuclear blast occurs on the surface of a
white dwarf
star?
Over the years astronomers have watched (at a safe distance ...) as,
6,000 light years from Earth in
the southern constellation Pyxis,
a binary star known as T Pyxidis
repeatedly produces these fearsome explosions.
This Hubble Space Telescope
image of nova T Pyx captures what appear to be
blobs rather than the expected shells
of material expanding from this interacting star system.
Like other binary star systems which
produce nova outbursts,
T Pyx is composed of
a dense white dwarf and a close companion star.
An outburst occurs when the temperature and density of the sea of
matter dumped from the companion
onto the surface of the white dwarf reach
the nuclear flash point for hydrogen.
While material is violently blown off, the
white dwarf
itself is not disrupted and soon begins to accumulate
more matter from its companion, repeating the cataclysm a few years
later.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
