On the late-type components of slow novae and symbiotic stars.

The paper demonstrates that symbiotic stars and the slow novae are the same phenomena exhibiting a range of associated time-scales, with slow novae being of intermediate speed. A summary is presented showing that both types of objects contain normal M giants of Mira variables; this does not agree with current single-star models for slow novae, according to which the M star is totally disrupted before the outburst. Spectral types of the late-type components are presented for nearly 80 symbiotic stars and slow novae, derived from 2 micron spectroscopy; it was found that the intensity of the emission spectrum and the electron density of the gas are functions of the spectral late-type star. Hydrogen shell flashes on a white dwarf accreting gas from the late-type components propose an explanation of the slow novae and symbiotic stars.