Eur. Phys. J. A (2006) 27: 107-115
https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2006-08-015-8

Nuclear Physics in Astrophysics II

Beacons in the sky: Classical novae vs. X-ray bursts

¹ Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC-UPC) and Departament de Fısica i Enginyeria Nuclear, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
² Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC-CSIC) and Institut de Ciències de l'Espai (CSIC), Bellaterra, Spain

Received: 22 June 2005
Accepted: 20 December 2005
Published online: 24 February 2006

Abstract

Thermonuclear runaways are at the origin of some of the most energetic and frequent stellar cataclysmic events. In this review talk, we outline our understanding of the mechanisms leading to classical nova explosions and X-ray bursts, together with their associated nucleosynthesis. In particular, we focus on the interplay between nova outbursts and the Galactic chemical abundances (where ¹³C, ¹⁵N, and ¹⁷O constitute the likely imprints of many nova outbursts during the overall 10Gyr of Galactic history), the synthesis of radioactive nuclei of interest for gamma-ray astronomy ( ⁷Be- ⁷Li, ²²Na, or ²⁶Al), the endpoint of nova nucleosynthesis, based on theoretical and observational grounds, and the recent discovery of presolar meteoritic grains, both in the Murchison and Acfer 094 meteorites, likely condensed in nova shells. Recent progress in the modeling of X-ray bursts as well as an insight into the input nuclear physics requests, for both novae and X-ray bursts, will also be presented.