Novae
In a nova, one star is a more normal
star and the other
star is a white dwarf. Matter accretes in a thin layer on the surface of
the white dwarf and eventually ignites in a thermonuclear explosion under
degenerate conditions.
This blows a
thin surface layer off into space, causing a large rise in light output from the
system. The mechanism for a
nova outburst is illustrated schematically in the adjacent
images.
