What structural requirement is necessary for the recurring process that causes a nova eruption?
Answer
A binary star system involving a white dwarf pulling material from a companion star.
The mechanism defining a nova relies entirely on the configuration of a specific type of stellar pairing. A nova requires a binary system where one component is a white dwarf. This dense remnant exerts a strong gravitational pull, drawing hydrogen-rich material off its larger, orbiting companion star. It is the accumulation of this transferred material onto the white dwarf's surface that leads to the necessary conditions for the thermonuclear flash. Without this continuous, recurring process of mass accretion from a close binary partner, the specific conditions for a standard nova eruption cannot be met.
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