Abstract

Novae are thermonuclear explosions on the surface of the white dwarf in a close binary system. They are multi-wavelength transients emitting across the electromagnetic spectrum from radio to gamma-rays. This thesis primarily focuses on the X-ray emission from one particular nova, V1674 Her. V1674 Her (Nova Her 2021) is known for its ultra-fast decline time of ��2 ∼ 1 day. This under normal circumstances implies massive white dwarf potentially approaching the Chandrasekhar limit. We test this for V1674 Her by measuring its mass via X-ray spectroscopy method. The method calculates X-ray emission from physically motivated model of post-shock accretion column that accounts for the temperature gradient in the flow. Reflection from the white dwarf surface and the soft X-ray component due to the heating of polar caps are also taken into account. Chandra observations of the nova in its super-soft phase are also discussed in this thesis. The grating spectrum is modeled using both phenomenological and physical models to estimate important parameters for the expanding ejecta and the central white dwarf. The second part of my thesis describes my work on characterization of CeBr3 detectors for gamma-ray spectroscopy. CeBr3 is a scintillation detector with high light output, low intrinsic radiation, fast decay time and good energy resolution. I took energy calibration, energy resolution, energy efficiency and effective area measurements of CeBr3 detectors. The results are discussed in the thesis.

Committee Chair

Manel Errando

Committee Members

Alex Chen; Dustin Swarm; James Buckley; Michael Nowak

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Author's Department

Physics

Author's School

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Document Type

Dissertation

Date of Award

8-13-2026

Language

English (en)

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