Recent Extragalactic Nova Rate Determinations and their Implications

Abstract

Abstract Comparing the rates of novae in galaxies of differing Hubble types reveals the sensitivity of nova eruptions to the properties (age, star formation history, metallicity) of the underlying stellar population. Recent studies using the Hubble Space Telescope have suggested that earlier ground-based surveys may have underestimated extragalactic nova rates by factors of five or more. Here we discuss the implications of such high specific nova rates on nova theory in general, and on the chemical evolution of galaxies, including the Milky Way, in particular.