[vsnet 553] no like those nova-likes

[jop@tristram.phys.columbia.edu (Joe Patterson)]

Hi Taichi,

Yes, "nova-like" for such objects is against all current usage of that
term, although the fault seems mainly in the unfortunate current usage.
People use the term explicitly to describe stars which are explicitly
NOT like novae, except in the very weak sense that all CVs are like
novae.  Really it's just the "grab bag" for stars not clearly or not
yet assigned to some agreed category.  Hence such diverse stars as GD
552, V2051 Oph, UX UMa, IX Vel, AE Aqr, and V Sge usually receive that
label.  I don't see that the term adds anything at all; we might just
as well call them "cataclysmic variables" since there seem to be no
EXTRA properties implied by the term nova-like.

But I know that usage is far more powerful than logic in these matters,
and I doubt that much can be done about it.  

For objects like the variable in Sagittarius, "possible slow nova" seems
like the best choice, with "symbiotic nova" replacing it when the mass
loser is found to be a luminous star (which seems likely).  That's my
opinion, anyway.


     joe patterson

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