Abstract
Using the results of recent work in shear instabilities in stratified fluids, we show that the resonant interaction between large-scale flows in the accreted H/He envelope of white dwarf stars and interfacial gravity waves can mix the star's envelope with the white dwarfs surface material, leading to the enhancement of the envelope's C/O abundance to levels required by extant models for nova outbursts.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | L177-L179 |
Journal | Astrophysical Journal |
Volume | 562 |
Issue number | 2 PART II |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2001 |
Externally published | Yes |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Space and Planetary Science
Keywords
- Novae, cataclysmic variables