HST Observations of the Ejecta of Recurrent Nova T Pyxidis
Abstract
Fermi's identification of classical novae as a new class of gamma-ray sources has raised the question of the role of shocks and particle acceleration in these eruptions. It has also highlighted similarities between the physical processes in novae and those in higher-energy explosions such as supernovae. High-resolution radio interferometry of several recent outbursts at early times indicates that some shocks result from collisions between early, slow outflows and later, faster, collimated flows. We will discuss our Hubble Space Telescope imaging and spatially-resolved spectra of the ejecta of the recurrent nova T Pyxidis at several late epochs following its most recent 2011 outburst. We will use the spatial size, expansion rate, Doppler shifts and emission line ratios to constrain the geometry, kinematics and plasma conditions of the complex features seen in the newest ejecta, and attempt to connect the origins of these structures with the outflows seen in radio data at earlier times.
- Publication:
-
American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #227
- Pub Date:
- January 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016AAS...22723913L