The recurrent nova U Scorpii - an evolutionary considerations

Abstract

We perform evolutionary calculations of binary stars to find progenitors of systems with parameters similar to the recurrent nova U Sco. We show that a U Sco-type system may be formed starting with an initial binary system which has a low-mass carbon-oxygen white dwarf as an accretor. Since the evolutionary stage of the secondary is not well known, we calculate sequences with hydrogen-rich and helium-rich secondaries. The evolution of the binary may be divided into several observable stages as: classical nova, supersoft X-ray source with stable hydrogen shell burning, or strong wind phase. It culminates in the formation of a massive white dwarf near the Chandrasekhar mass limit. We follow the chemical evolution of the secondary as well as of the matter lost from the system, and we show that observed $^{12}$C/$^{13}$C and N/C ratios may give some information about the nature of the binary.