Concept information
Preferred term
Cataclysmic variable stars
Definition
- A variable star that shows a sudden and dramatic change in brightness, including flare stars, novae, and some types of symbiotic stars. They are believed to be very close binary systems consisting of an accreting white dwarf primary and an evolved late-type secondary star that has filled its Roche lobe. For systems with an accretion disk, it is believed that a thermal instability is the cause of repetitive outbursts observed in cataclysmic variables called dwarf novae. (en)
Broader concept
Narrower concepts
- AM Canum Venaticorum stars (en)
- AM Herculis stars (en)
- Novae (en)
- Nova-like variable stars (en)
- SX Arietis variable stars (en)
- UV Persei stars (en)
- WZ Sagittae stars (en)
Entry terms
- Cataclysmic binaries (en)
- Cataclysmic binary stars (en)
- Cataclysmic variables (en)
URI
http://astrothesaurus.org/uat/203
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