Nucleosynthesis in Classical Novae: CO versus ONe White Dwarfs

Detailed nucleosynthesis in the ejecta of classical novae has been determined for a grid of hydrodynamic nova models. The reported 14 evolutionary sequences, followed from the onset of accretion up to the explosion and ejection stages, span a range of CO and ONe white dwarf masses (0.8-1.35 Mₒ) and mixing levels between the accreted envelope and the underlying white dwarf core (25-75%). The synthesis of each isotope, from ¹H to ⁴⁰Ca, is discussed along with its sensitivity to model parameters. Special emphasis is given to isotopes such as ¹³C, ¹⁵N, and ¹⁷O, which may account for a significant fraction of their Galactic content. Production of the radioactive isotopes ⁷Be, ²²Na, and ²⁶Al is also analyzed, since they may provide a direct test of the thermonuclear runaway model through their γ-ray emission. The resulting elemental yields reproduce fairly well the spectroscopic abundance determinations of several well studied classical novae.