Do novae hibernate during most of the millenia between eruptions? Links between dwarf and classical novae, and implications for the space densities and evolution of cataclysmic binaries

Abstract

The effects of mass and angular momentum losses during a nova eruption are investigated by simulation in the context of a new nova evolution model. It is argued that surveys for cataclysmic variables (CVs) are very incomplete and that the local space density of CVs could well be 0.0001/cu pc. It is shown that the competing effets of mass and angular momentum loss usually increase the separation of a red and white dwarf during a nova eruption. The reasons why old novae remain bright for about a century after eruption and why they reduce the mass transfer rate (MTR) and eventually go into a state of hibernation for a thousand to a million years, eventually reviving as dwarf novae or novalike variables, are discussed. The results of these simulations are used to demonstrate the consistency of variable MTR in resolving the MTR discrepancy. 43 references.