Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2000-03-22
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
7 pages including 2 figures, to appear in ApJ Letter
Scientific paper
10.1086/312684
A theoretical light curve is constructed for the quiescent phase of the recurrent nova U Scorpii in order to resolve the existing distance discrepancy between the outbursts (6 kpc) and the quiescences (14 kpc). Our U Sco model consists of a very massive white dwarf (WD), an accretion disk (ACDK) with a flaring-up rim, and a lobe-filling, slightly evolved, main-sequence star (MS). The model properly includes an accretion luminosity of the WD, a viscous luminosity of the ACDK, a reflection effect of the MS and the ACDK irradiated by the WD photosphere. The B light curve is well reproduced by a model of 1.37 M_sun WD + 1.5 M_sun MS (0.8---2.0 M_sun MS is acceptable) with an ACDK having a flaring-up rim, and the inclination angle i~80 degree. The calculated color is rather blue (B-V~0.0) for a suggested mass accretion rate of 2.5 x 10^{-7} M_sun yr^{-1}, thus indicating a large color excess of E(B-V)~0.56 with the observational color of B-V=0.56 in quiescence. Such a large color excess corresponds to an absorption of A_V~1.8 and A_B~2.3, which reduces the distance to 6-8 kpc. This is in good agreement with the distance estimation of 4-6 kpc for the latest outburst. Such a large intrinsic absorption is very consistent with the recently detected period change of U Sco, which is indicating a mass outflow of ~3 x 10^{-7} M_sun yr^{-1} through the outer Lagrangian points in quiescence.
Hachisu Izumi
Kato Mariko
Kato Taichi
Matsumoto Katsura
Nomoto Ken'ichi
No associations
LandOfFree
A Model for the Quiescent Phase of the Recurrent Nova U Scorpii does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with A Model for the Quiescent Phase of the Recurrent Nova U Scorpii, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and A Model for the Quiescent Phase of the Recurrent Nova U Scorpii will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-475010