Nova outburst

3D ModelNoAI

The hydrodynamic model illustrates a nova outburst, observed as a sudden and dramatic increase in brightness within a binary system consisting of a white dwarf that accretes hydrogen-rich material from its companion star. As this material accumulates on the white dwarf’s surface, it becomes increasingly dense and hot. When the pressure and temperature at the base of the accreted layer reach a critical threshold, a thermonuclear runaway is triggered, igniting the hydrogen in a powerful explosion. This eruption expels material into space (shown in red in the scene) at high velocities, disrupting the circumstellar disk formed from material captured from the companion star and accreting onto the white dwarf (shown in blue). The outburst produces a bright, transient event that increases the system’s luminosity by several orders of magnitude. Unlike a supernova, a nova does not destroy the white dwarf, allowing the cycle of accretion and outburst to repeat over time.