UWEC CERCA 2025

This research details the results of work done in Modules for Experiments in StellarAstrophysics (MESA) on cataclysmic variables. Cataclysmic variables are binary systems ofstars that orbit each other with a period of a few hours. In these systems, mass is transferredbetween one star and the other, often alternating between times where mass is transferredquickly, and other times where it is transferred slowly. Recent work has suggested that thetransferred matter is rapidly processed from hydrogen and helium to carbon and oxygen,resulting in the long-term growth of the star that received the matter. Our model uses MESAto track the variable mass transfer at small time scales. We show that long-term growth isinhibited by periodic explosions known as classical novae that eject most of the matter thatwas transferred, casting doubt on the earlier results indicating efficient stellar growth.