Circumstellar Shell Formation in Symbiotic Recurrent Novae

Abstract

We present models of spherically symmetric recurrent nova shells interacting with circumstellar material in a symbiotic system composed of a red giant expelling a wind, and a white dwarf accreting from this material. Recurrent nova eruptions periodically eject material at high velocities ($\gtrsim 10^3$ km/s) into the red giant wind profile, creating a decelerating shock wave as circumstellar material is swept up. High circumstellar material densities cause the shocked wind and ejecta to have very short cooling times of days to weeks. Thus, the late time evolution of the shell is determined by momentum conservation instead of energy conservation. We compute and show evolutionary tracks of shell deceleration, as well as post-shock structure. After sweeping up all the red giant wind, the shell coasts at a velocity $\sim 100$ km/s, depending on system parameters. These velocities are similar to those measured in blue-shifted circumstellar material from the symbiotic nova RS Oph, as well as a few Type Ia supernovae that show evidence of circumstellar material, such as 2006X, 2007le, and PTF 11kx. Supernovae occurring in such systems may not show circumstellar material interaction until the inner nova shell gets hit by the supernova ejecta, days to months after the explosion.