Main-Sequence Stellar Eruption Model for V838 Monocerotis

2002/10/21 by Noam Soker, R. Tylenda, Romuald Tylenda · 7 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #astro-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/367759

published as Astrophys.J. 582 (2003) L105-L108 · 9 pages

arxiv created 2002/10/21 · openalex publication_date 2003/01/10 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2019/06/27 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01

Abstract

We propose that the energy source of the outburst of V838 Mon and similar objects is an accretion event, i.e., gravitational energy rather than thermonuclear runaway. We show that the merger of two main-sequence stars, of masses M 1 ≃ 1.5 M ☉ and M 2 ≃ 0.1-0.5 M ☉ , can account for the luminosity, large radius, and low effective temperature of V838 Mon and similar objects. By varying the masses and types of the merging stars, and by considering slowly expanding, rather than hydrostatic, envelopes, this model can account for a large range in luminosities and radii of such outburst events.

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