1981/04/01 by H. W. Duerbeck · 6 citations
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Absolute (philosophy) #Absolute magnitude #Adaptive optics and wavefront sensing #Astronomical Observations and Instrumentation #Astronomy #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #Astrophysics #Context (archaeology) #Eddington luminosity #Extinction (optical mineralogy) #Galaxy #Light curve #Luminosity #Magnitude (astronomy) #Nova (rocket) #Optics #Physics #Stars #White dwarf
paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/130799
openalex publication_date 1981/04/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
For 31 classical galactic novae and four recurrent novae distances, absolute magnitudes and extinction data are derived by different methods. A new absolute magnitude - t3 time relation is established. Two groups of novae are found: very fast and fast novae with smooth light curves and absolute magnitudes between -8 and -11, and fast, slow, and very slow novae with structured light curves and absolute magnitudes between -6 and -7. Group I exhibits quasi-instantaneous mass loss at a luminosity far above the Eddington limit. Group II exhibits continued radiation at the Eddington limit from a bloated white dwarf. A classification scheme for nova light curves which is useful in the context of the new luminosity calibration is described and applied to 95 novae.