A Multiwavelength Light-curve Analysis of the Classical Nova YZ Ret: An Extension of the Universal Decline Law to the Nebular Phase

Abstract

YZ Ret is the first X-ray flash detected classical nova, and is also observed in optical, X-ray, and gamma-ray. We propose a comprehensive model that explains the observational properties. The white dwarf mass is determined to be ∼1.33 M _☉ , which reproduces the multiwavelength light curves of YZ Ret, from optical, X-ray, to gamma-ray. We show that a shock is naturally generated far outside the photosphere because winds collide with themselves. The derived lifetime of the shock explains some of the temporal variations of emission lines. The shocked shell significantly contributes to the optical flux in the nebular phase. The decline trend of shell emission in the nebular phase is close to ∝ t ^−1.75 and the same as the universal decline law of classical novae, where t is the time from the outburst.

Keywords

• Fast novae
• Classical novae
• VY Sculpturis stars
• X-ray astronomy
• High energy astrophysics
• Shocks