The early stage of classical nova explosions

9 Mar 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

Astronomical Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences

Department

Stellar Dept.

Research Field

Astronomy » Astrophysics

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

Slovakia

Application Deadline

15 May 2024 - 23:59 (Europe/Brussels)

Type of Contract

Not Applicable

Job Status

Negotiable

Hours Per Week

40

Offer Starting Date

1 Sep 2024

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

Supervisor: Mgr. Ľubomír Hambálek, PhD. ([email protected] )
Consultant: RNDr. Augustin Skopal, DrSc.
Affiliation: Astronomical Institute SAS, Tatranská Lomnica, 059 60 Vysoké Tatry
Syllabus:
Focus of the research: The nova phenomenon is the result of the sudden thermonuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium in the surface layer of a white dwarf (WD). The fuel for this process is hydrogen material that is deposited on the surface of the WD from its companion in the binary. When the pressure at the base of the accumulated layer reaches a critical value, thermonuclear fusion takes place on a time scale of minutes (so-called fast novae) with an energy output of about 1031 W, which ejects the remaining accumulated mass into the surrounding space at a speed of several thousand km/s. High-energy gamma-photons produced by thermonuclear fusion are transmitted through this material and thereby redistribute their energy throughout the electromagnetic spectrum depending on the optical and geometric properties of the ejected matter, which are dependent on the time since the eruption. In the case of fast novae (the case of massive WDs), the maximum brightness in the optical usually occurs within a few days of the explosion and reaches an amplitude of around 9 to 15 magnitudes. For low-mass WDs, the ignition of thermonuclear fusion is not explosive, the optical maximum usually occurs on a scale of weeks to months, and is often accompanied by other less energetic flares before a gradual decrease in brightness (so-called slow novae). The development of classical novae, especially from their first hours to a few days (tens of days) of their life, is still poorly understood. Determining the basic physical parameters and geometric structure of a nova in its early stages will therefore allow us to better understand the nature of nova explosions and their development, and thus also their integration into the evolution of other stars and stellar systems.
Objectives: For selected fast and slow novae, determine the basic physical parameters of the radiation regions of the nova (temperatures, radii, luminosities, emission volume, mass-loss rate) and their geometric structure in the early stages after the explosion. This goal is achieved by modeling the energy distribution in the spectrum of the nova (software available), which will distinguish its individual radiation components. The doctoral student will work with existing observations (UBVRI photometry, spectroscopy). For new objects, it will also be possible to obtain own observations with AI SAS telescopes. He/she will be included in the research team of the VEGA project, which will enable him/her to present the obtained results at international conferences.
Requirements: knowledge of English, basics of programming
Research field: Symbiotic stars and novae

Requirements

Research Field

Astronomy » Astrophysics

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Languages

ENGLISH

Level

Good

Research Field

Astronomy » Astrophysics

Additional Information
Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Astronomical Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences

Country

Slovakia

City

Vysoke Tatry

Postal Code

059 60

Street

Tatranska Lomnica

Geofield

Where to apply

E-mail

[email protected]

Contact

City

Vysoke Tatry

Website

http://www.astro.sk

Street

Tatranska Lomnica, PO Box 18

Postal Code

05960

E-Mail

[email protected]
[email protected]

Phone

(+421) 52 79 89 111

STATUS: EXPIRED