The real-time stellar evolution of Sakurai's object.
After a hot white dwarf ceases its nuclear burning, its helium may briefly and explosively reignite. This causes the star to evolve back into a cool giant, whereupon it experiences renewed mass ejection before reheating. A reignition event of this kind was observed in 1996 in V4334 Sgr (Sakurai's object). Its temperature decrease was 100 times the predicted rate. To understand its unexpectedly fast evolution, we have developed a model in which convective mixing is strongly suppressed under the influence of flash burning. The model predicts equally rapid reheating of the star. Radio emission from freshly ionized matter now shows that this reheating has begun. Such events may be an important source of carbon and carbonaceous dust in the Galaxy.
Hajduk
Marcin
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School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Post Office Box 88, Manchester M60 1QD, UK.
Zijlstra
Albert A
AA
Herwig
Falk
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van Hoof
Peter A M
PA
Kerber
Florian
F
Kimeswenger
Stefan
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Pollacco
Don L
DL
Evans
Aneurin
A
Lopéz
José A
JA
Bryce
Myfanwy
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Eyres
Stewart P S
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Matsuura
Mikako
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