Discovery of a nova super-remnant surrounding the recurrent nova LMCN 1971-08a in the Large Magellanic Cloud

Michael W. Healy-Kalesh; Manami Sasaki; Sean D. Points; Miroslav D. Filipović; Zachary J. Smeaton; Matthew J. Darnley; Knox S. Long; Sara Saeedi; Federico Zangrandi

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202556670

Discovery of a nova super-remnant surrounding the recurrent nova LMCN 1971-08a in the Large Magellanic Cloud

Michael W. Healy-Kalesh, Manami Sasaki, Sean D. Points, Miroslav D. Filipović, Zachary J. Smeaton, Matthew J. Darnley, Knox S. Long, Sara Saeedi, Federico Zangrandi

School of Science

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

A nova super-remnant (NSR) is a greatly-extended structure grown by repeated nova eruptions sweeping the surrounding material away from a nova into a dense outer shell and are predicted to form around all novae. To date, four NSRs are known, with three located in the Galaxy and one residing in M31. Here we present the discovery of the first NSR in the Large Magellanic Cloud and only the second extragalactic nova shell identified, hosted by the recurrent nova LMCN 1971-08a. The structure is coincident with the nova, has a circular morphology, and is visible in narrowband Hα and [S II] filters but is very faint in [O III] , as expected. H I data also potentially reveal the existence of a coincident structure. Further, with a diameter of ∼200 pc, this NSR is the largest example yet found, with models indicating an ∼4130 M_⊙ shell expanding at ∼20 km s⁻¹ into the surrounding medium and an age of ∼2.4 Myr. The existence of the NSR also suggests that LMCN 1971-08a may have a much shorter recurrence period than currently presumed.

Original language	English
Article number	L9
Number of pages	9
Journal	Astronomy and Astrophysics
Volume	702
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202556670
Publication status	Published - 1 Oct 2025

Open Access - Access Right Statement

Open Access article, published by EDP Sciences, under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Keywords

cataclysmic variables
ISM: structure
Magellanic Clouds
novae
radio continuum: ISM
stars: individual: LMCN 1971-08a

Access to Document

10.1051/0004-6361/202556670Licence: CC BY

Full textFinal published version, 26.4 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{bb195a7545f54516b0c3384d2d2d55ce,

title = "Discovery of a nova super-remnant surrounding the recurrent nova LMCN 1971-08a in the Large Magellanic Cloud",

abstract = "A nova super-remnant (NSR) is a greatly-extended structure grown by repeated nova eruptions sweeping the surrounding material away from a nova into a dense outer shell and are predicted to form around all novae. To date, four NSRs are known, with three located in the Galaxy and one residing in M31. Here we present the discovery of the first NSR in the Large Magellanic Cloud and only the second extragalactic nova shell identified, hosted by the recurrent nova LMCN 1971-08a. The structure is coincident with the nova, has a circular morphology, and is visible in narrowband Hα and [S II] filters but is very faint in [O III] , as expected. H I data also potentially reveal the existence of a coincident structure. Further, with a diameter of ∼200 pc, this NSR is the largest example yet found, with models indicating an ∼4130 M⊙ shell expanding at ∼20 km s−1 into the surrounding medium and an age of ∼2.4 Myr. The existence of the NSR also suggests that LMCN 1971-08a may have a much shorter recurrence period than currently presumed.",

keywords = "cataclysmic variables, ISM: structure, Magellanic Clouds, novae, radio continuum: ISM, stars: individual: LMCN 1971-08a",

author = "Healy-Kalesh, {Michael W.} and Manami Sasaki and Points, {Sean D.} and Filipovi{\'c}, {Miroslav D.} and Smeaton, {Zachary J.} and Darnley, {Matthew J.} and Long, {Knox S.} and Sara Saeedi and Federico Zangrandi",

year = "2025",

month = oct,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1051/0004-6361/202556670",

language = "English",

volume = "702",

journal = "Astronomy and Astrophysics",

issn = "0004-6361",

publisher = "EDP Sciences",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Discovery of a nova super-remnant surrounding the recurrent nova LMCN 1971-08a in the Large Magellanic Cloud

AU - Healy-Kalesh, Michael W.

AU - Sasaki, Manami

AU - Points, Sean D.

AU - Filipović, Miroslav D.

AU - Smeaton, Zachary J.

AU - Darnley, Matthew J.

AU - Long, Knox S.

AU - Saeedi, Sara

AU - Zangrandi, Federico

PY - 2025/10/1

Y1 - 2025/10/1

N2 - A nova super-remnant (NSR) is a greatly-extended structure grown by repeated nova eruptions sweeping the surrounding material away from a nova into a dense outer shell and are predicted to form around all novae. To date, four NSRs are known, with three located in the Galaxy and one residing in M31. Here we present the discovery of the first NSR in the Large Magellanic Cloud and only the second extragalactic nova shell identified, hosted by the recurrent nova LMCN 1971-08a. The structure is coincident with the nova, has a circular morphology, and is visible in narrowband Hα and [S II] filters but is very faint in [O III] , as expected. H I data also potentially reveal the existence of a coincident structure. Further, with a diameter of ∼200 pc, this NSR is the largest example yet found, with models indicating an ∼4130 M⊙ shell expanding at ∼20 km s−1 into the surrounding medium and an age of ∼2.4 Myr. The existence of the NSR also suggests that LMCN 1971-08a may have a much shorter recurrence period than currently presumed.

AB - A nova super-remnant (NSR) is a greatly-extended structure grown by repeated nova eruptions sweeping the surrounding material away from a nova into a dense outer shell and are predicted to form around all novae. To date, four NSRs are known, with three located in the Galaxy and one residing in M31. Here we present the discovery of the first NSR in the Large Magellanic Cloud and only the second extragalactic nova shell identified, hosted by the recurrent nova LMCN 1971-08a. The structure is coincident with the nova, has a circular morphology, and is visible in narrowband Hα and [S II] filters but is very faint in [O III] , as expected. H I data also potentially reveal the existence of a coincident structure. Further, with a diameter of ∼200 pc, this NSR is the largest example yet found, with models indicating an ∼4130 M⊙ shell expanding at ∼20 km s−1 into the surrounding medium and an age of ∼2.4 Myr. The existence of the NSR also suggests that LMCN 1971-08a may have a much shorter recurrence period than currently presumed.

KW - cataclysmic variables

KW - ISM: structure

KW - Magellanic Clouds

KW - novae

KW - radio continuum: ISM

KW - stars: individual: LMCN 1971-08a

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105020015127&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1051/0004-6361/202556670

DO - 10.1051/0004-6361/202556670

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105020015127

SN - 0004-6361

VL - 702

JO - Astronomy and Astrophysics

JF - Astronomy and Astrophysics

M1 - L9

ER -

Discovery of a nova super-remnant surrounding the recurrent nova LMCN 1971-08a in the Large Magellanic Cloud

Abstract

Open Access - Access Right Statement

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this