The Real-Time Stellar Evolution of Sakurai's Object
Hajduk M., Zijlstra A.A., Herwig F., van Hoof P.A.M., Kerber F., Kimeswenger S., Pollacco D.L., Evans A., Lopéz J.A., Bryce M., Eyres S.P.S., Matsuura M.
published in: Science, 308, 231 (2005)
After a hot white dwarf ceases its nuclear burning, its helium may briefly and
explosively reignite. This causes the star to evolve back into a cool giant,
whereupon it experiences renewed mass ejection before reheating. A reignition
event of this kind was observed in 1996 in V4334 Sgr (Sakurai's Object). Its
temperature decrease was 100 times the predicted rate. To understand its
unexpectedly fast evolution, we have developed a model in which convective
mixing is strongly suppressed under the influence of flash burning. The model
predicts equally rapid reheating of the star. Radio emission from freshly
ionized matter now shows that this reheating has begun. Such events may be an
important source of carbon and carbonaceous dust in the Galaxy.
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Peter van Hoof
Royal Observatory of Belgium
Ringlaan 3
1180 Brussel
Belgium
email: p DOT vanhoof AT oma DOT be
