Recurrent novae as a consequence of the accretion of solar material onto a 1.38 solar mass white dwarf

The authors have computed three evolutionary sequences which treat the accretion of hydrogen-rich material (solar composition) onto 1.38 M_sun; white dwarfs. In the first sequence they utilized an accretion rate of 1.7×10⁻⁸M_sun;yr⁻¹ onto a white dwarf with an initial luminosity of 0.1 L_sun;. It took this sequence ≡33 yr to reach the peak of the thermonuclear runaway which resulted in an outburst that ejected 3×10⁻⁸M_sun; of material. The light curve, the time to outburst, and the amount of mass ejected during the evolution are in excellent agreement with the observed outburst of Nova U Sco 1979. The second study involved an accretion rate of 1.7×10⁻⁹M_sun;yr⁻¹ onto a white dwarf with an initial luminosity of 10⁻²L_sun;. It took nearly 1600 yr to reach the burst phase of the evolution. This sequence ejected 3×10⁻⁷M_sun;, only 13% of the accreted envelope.