Ghostly Remnant of an Explosive Past

Galex_glx2007-01r_img03_1024

galex_glx2007-01r_img03 March 7th, 2007

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle(SSC)/R. Hurt(SSC)

This enhanced image from the far-ultraviolet detector on NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer shows a ghostly shell of ionized gas around Z Camelopardalis, a binary, or double-star system featuring a collapsed, dead star known as a white dwarf, and a companion star.

The image was processed to enhance the diffuse emissions from the shell. Z Cam is the bright object near the center of the image. Parts of the shell are seen as a lobe-like, light- blue feature below and to the right of Z Cam, and as two large, light blue, perpendicular lines on the left.

The massive shell around Z Cam provides evidence of material ejected during and swept up by a powerful nova eruption, called a classical nova, which likely occurred a few thousand years ago.

In exploding binary systems, one of the two stars steals material from the other until it builds up to a certain level; at that point, the system erupts in a giant inferno. In the case of Z Cam, the white dwarf is pilfering material from its sedate companion.

There are two classes of exploding binary star systems, or cataclysmic variables: recurrent dwarf novae, which erupt in small, "hiccup-like" blasts episodically, and classical novae, which undergo huge explosions thousands of times more powerful than dwarf novae.

Z Cam was the one of the first known recurrent dwarf novae. Yet the shell of ionized gas around Z Cam detected by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer can only be explained as the remnant of a full-blown classical nova explosion. The discovery of the shell provides the first evidence that some binary systems undergo both types of explosions. Previously, a link between the two types of novae had been predicted, but there was no evidence to support the theory.

The Galaxy Evolution Explorer first began imaging Z Cam in 2003; this image was taken on Jan. 25, 2004. The type of emission found around Z Cam is most easily visible at far- ultraviolet wavelengths.

Most of the background galaxies and stars have been eliminated by the image processing, although a few linger as white spots near the top. The light-blue streaky clump in the bottom right corner is created by ultraviolet light reflected by dust. It is uncertain if Z Cam is the source of the dust-scattered light.

Provider: Galaxy Evolution Explorer

Image Source: /image/galex/glx2007-01r_img03

Curator: Spitzer Space Telescope

Image Use Policy: Public Domain

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Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
Z Camelopardalis
Galex_glx2007-01r_img03_128
 

Position Details

Position
RA = 8h 25m 13.7s
DEC = 73° 6’ 39.7”
Orientation
North is up
Field of View
1.6 x 1.6 degrees
Constellation
Camelopardalis
Galex_glx2007-01r_img03_1280
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ID
glx2007-01r_img03
Subject Category
Subject Name
Z Camelopardalis
Credits
NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle(SSC)/R. Hurt(SSC)
Release Date
2007-03-07
Lightyears
Redshift
Reference Url
/image/galex/glx2007-01r_img03
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Distance Notes
Facility
Instrument
Color Assignment
Band
Bandpass
Central Wavelength
Start Time
Integration Time
3428.
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
Equinox
J2000
Reference Value
126.30714, 73.11102
Reference Dimension
3840, 3840
Reference Pixel
1920.5, 1920.5
Scale
-0.000416666666666667, 0.000416666666666667
Rotation
0.
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
FITS Header
Notes
0.75 x 0.75 deg FOV
Creator (Curator)
Spitzer Space Telescope
URL
http://www.galex.caltech.edu
Name
Email
Telephone
Address
City
State/Province
Postal Code
Country
Rights
Public Domain
Publisher
Galaxy Evolution Explorer
Publisher ID
galex
Resource ID
Resource URL
/image/galex/glx2007-01r_img03
Related Resources
Metadata Date
2023-03-04T01:23:02Z
Metadata Version
1.2
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