Related papers: QU Carinae: a SNeIa progenitor?
Nova V2491 Cyg is one of just two detected pre-outburst in X-rays. The light curve of this nova exhibited a rare "re-brightening" which has been attributed by some as the system being a polar, whilst others claim that a magnetic WD is…
We show the initial and final parameter space for SNe Ia in a ($\log P^{\rm i}, M_{\rm 2}^{\rm i}$) plane and find that the positions of some famous recurrent novae, as well as a supersoft X-ray source (SSS), RX J0513.9-6951, are well…
It has been widely accepted that Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are thermonuclear explosions of a CO white dwarf. However, the natures of the progenitor system(s) and explosion mechanism(s) are still unclarified. Thanks to the recent…
Optical observations of the Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) 2005bl in NGC 4070, obtained from -6 to +66 d with respect to the B-band maximum, are presented. The photometric evolution is characterised by rapidly-declining light curves and red…
Models for Type Ia Supernovae (SNe Ia) are reviewed. It is shown that there are strong reasons to believe that SNe Ia represent thermonuclear disruptions of C-O white dwarfs, when these white dwarfs reach the Chandrasekhar limit and ignite…
In the single degenerate (SD) scenario of type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia), the collision of the ejecta with its companion results in stripping hydrogen rich matter from the companion star. This hydrogen rich matter might leave its trace in the…
Type-Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are important distance indicators, element factories, cosmic-ray accelerators, kinetic-energy sources in galaxy evolution, and endpoints of stellar binary evolution. It has long been clear that a SN Ia must be…
V5579 Sgr was a fast nova discovered in 2008 April 18.784 UT. We present the optical spectroscopic observations of the nova observed from the Castanet Tolosan, SMARTS and CTIO observatories spanning over 2008 April 23 to 2015 May 11. The…
[Abridged] Superluminous Supernovae (SN2006gy, SN2005gj, SN2005ap, SN2008fz, SN2003ma) have been a challenge to explain by standard models. We present an alternative scenario involving a quark-nova (QN), an explosive transition of the newly…
We present near-infrared spectroscopic and photometric observations of the nova V5579 Sgr during the maximum and early decline phase. The spectra follow the evolution of the nova from peak brightness when the lines had strong P Cygni…
We present a detailed spectroscopic analysis of the luminous blue variable AG Carinae during the last two visual minimum phases of its S-Dor cycle (1985-1990 and 2000-2003). The analysis reveals an overabundance of He, N, and Na, and a…
Once classified as an emission line source, the planetary nebula (PN) nature of the source Kn 26 has been only recently recognized in digital sky surveys. To investigate the spectral properties and spatio-kinematical structure of Kn 26, we…
We present optical spectra of the ionized `Outer Ejecta' of Eta Carinae that reveal differences in chemical composition at various positions. In particular, young condensations just outside the dusty Homunculus Nebula show strong nitrogen…
We present well-sampled optical observations of the bright Type Ia supernova (SN~Ia) SN 2011fe in M101. Our data, starting from $\sim16$ days before maximum light and extending to $\sim463$ days after maximum, provide an unprecedented time…
V Hya, an evolved carbon star with a complex circumstellar envelope, has two variability periods, 530d and 6000d (17 years). We analyze recent light curve data and show that both variations have benn present for at least 100 years and have…
(Shortened) Sequences of spectra of the nova-like cataclysmic variable (CV) BZ Cam were acquired on 9 nights in 2005-2006 in order to study the time development of episodes of wind activity known to occur frequently in this star. We confirm…
The properties of underluminous type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) of the 91bg subclass have yet to be theoretically understood. Here, we take a closer look at the structure of the dim SN Ia 2005bl. We infer the abundance and density profiles…
We report the detection of a very narrow P Cygni profile on top of the broad emission Ha and Hb lines of the Type IIn Supernova 1997eg. A similar feature has been detected in SN 1997ab (Salamanca et al. 1998), SN 1998S (Meikle & Geballe…
We present time-resolved optical spectroscopy of the dwarf nova CSS100603:112253-111037. Its optical spectrum is rich in helium, with broad, double-peaked emission lines produced in an accretion disc. We measure a line flux ratio…
The main progenitor candidate of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) is white dwarfs in binary systems where the companion star is another white dwarf (double degenerate system) or a less evolved non-degenerate star with R* >~ 0.1 Rsun (single…