# U Sco 2010 outburst: observational evidence of an underlying ONeMg white dwarf

**Authors:** Elena Mason  
**arXiv:** [1107.4013](https://arxiv.org/abs/1107.4013)  
**Date:** 2011-07-20  
**Summary page:** https://www.summarizepaper.com/en/paper/1107.4013v1/

## Abstract

This paper presents U Sco nebular spectra collected in the period March-May 2010 after the binary outburst on Jan 28, 2010. The spectra display strong [Ne V] and [Ne III] lines that can be used to compute the relative abundance of [Ne/O]. The value obtained ([Ne/O]=1.69) is higher than the typical [Ne/O] abundance found in classical novae from CO progenitors and suggests that U Sco has a ONeMg white-dwarf progenitor. It follows that U Sco will not explode as a SN Ia but rather collapse to become a neutron star or a millisecond pulsar.