Multiple outflows and delayed ejections revealed by early imaging of novae

Novae are thermonuclear eruptions on accreting white dwarfs in interacting binaries. Although most of the accreted envelope is expelled, the mechanism-impulsive ejection, multiple outflows or prolonged winds, or a common-envelope interaction-remains uncertain. Gigaelectronvolt γ-ray detections from >20 Galactic novae establish these eruptions as nearby laboratories for shock physics and particle acceleration, underscoring the need to determine how novae eject their envelopes. Here we report on near-infrared interferometry, supported by multiwavelength observations, of two γ-ray-detected novae. The images of the very fast 2021 nova V1674 Her, taken just 2-3 days after discovery, reveal the presence of two perpendicular outflows. The interaction between these outflows probably drives the observed γ-ray emission. Conversely, the images of the very slow 2021 nova V1405 Cas suggest that the bulk of the accreted envelope was ejected more than 50 days after the eruption began, as the nova slowly rose to its visible peak, during which the envelope engulfed the system in a common-envelope phase. These images offer direct observational evidence that the mechanisms driving mass ejection from the surfaces of accreting white dwarfs are not as simple as previously thought, revealing multiple outflows and delayed ejections.

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Journal
Nature Astronomy
Published
2025-12-05
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02725-1
Primary Topic
Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Multiple outflows and delayed ejections revealed by early imaging of novae

Peter Craig, Cyprien Lanthermann, Jhih-Ling Fan, Gail H. Schaefer et al.
Nature Astronomy
Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations
article

Multiple outflows and delayed ejections revealed by early imaging of novae

Peter Craig, Cyprien Lanthermann, Jhih-Ling Fan, Gail H. Schaefer, Sorabh Chhabra, Mayra Gutierrez, John D. Monnier, K. Mukai, E. Aydi, Benjamin R. Setterholm, Jason T. Hinkle, B. J. Shappee, Brian D. Metzger, Stefan Kraus, Kwan-Lok Li, Narsireddy Anugu, M. A. Tucker, A. Mérand, D. A. H. Buckley, M. Otulakowska-Hypka, Gesesew R Habtie, Thomas de Jaeger, Kim L. Page, R. Salinas, R. E. Williams, A. V. Payne, Ken J. Shen, Justin D. Linford, Luca Izzo, Tyler Gardner, Laura B. Chomiuk, N. P. M. Kuin, Noura Ibrahim, Jennifer L. Sokoloski, Jay Strader, K. V. Sokolovsky, Isabelle Codron, R. J. Rudy, Chris Ashall, M. Williams, Marina Orio, Jean-Baptiste Le Bouquin
article en

Abstract

Novae are thermonuclear eruptions on accreting white dwarfs in interacting binaries. Although most of the accreted envelope is expelled, the mechanism-impulsive ejection, multiple outflows or prolonged winds, or a common-envelope interaction-remains uncertain. Gigaelectronvolt γ-ray detections from >20 Galactic novae establish these eruptions as nearby laboratories for shock physics and particle acceleration, underscoring the need to determine how novae eject their envelopes. Here we report on near-infrared interferometry, supported by multiwavelength observations, of two γ-ray-detected novae. The images of the very fast 2021 nova V1674 Her, taken just 2-3 days after discovery, reveal the presence of two perpendicular outflows. The interaction between these outflows probably drives the observed γ-ray emission. Conversely, the images of the very slow 2021 nova V1405 Cas suggest that the bulk of the accreted envelope was ejected more than 50 days after the eruption began, as the nova slowly rose to its visible peak, during which the envelope engulfed the system in a common-envelope phase. These images offer direct observational evidence that the mechanisms driving mass ejection from the surfaces of accreting white dwarfs are not as simple as previously thought, revealing multiple outflows and delayed ejections.

Nature AstronomyVol. 10(2)
Texas Tech University (US), Debre Berhan University (ET), Space Telescope Science Institute (US), University of Wisconsin System (US), European Southern Observatory (DE), University of Hawaii System (US), University of Wisconsin–Madison (US), University of Leicester (GB), University of Cape Town (ZA), University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US), Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (US), University of California, Santa Cruz (US), New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (US), University of Exeter (GB), National Radio Astronomy Observatory (US), University of Michigan (US), Astronomical Observatory of Capodimonte (IT), Laboratoire AstroParticule et Cosmologie (FR), Department of Space (IN), Pacific Antenna Systems (United States) (US), Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (DE), Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble (FR), Centre for Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics (UZ), South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (ZA), Astrophysics Science Division (US), Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center (PL), École Pour l'Informatique et les Techniques Avancées (FR), Mount Wilson Observatory (US), Niels Brock (DK), Astronomy and Space (AU), Flatiron Health (United States) (US), Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova (IT), University College London (GB), The Ohio State University (US), Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (PL), Columbia University (US), University of Maryland, Baltimore County (US), National Cheng Kung University (TW), Polish Academy of Sciences (PL)
National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Georgia State University, Space Telescope Science Institute, Flatiron Health, European Commission, Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, Science and Technology Facilities Council, Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development, University at Buffalo
Openalex Percentile: Top 74%
Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations
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