Study of nova-produced [sup 22]Na with COMPTEL.

The COMPTEL telescope on board the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (CGRO) is capable of imaging γ-ray line sources, like classical novae, in the MeV regime at a level of sensitivity up to a few 10[sup -5] photons cm[sup -2] s[sup -1]. At this level of sensitivity quite high expectations can be placed on the detection of the predicted [sup 22]Na γ-ray line at 1.275 MeV from nearby novae. We have used COMPTEL data collected up to the 2[sup nd] CGRO reboost to update previously published limits for the sodium production by novae. Results of the [sup 22]Na line emission studies from the old and the most recent novae are discussed and compared with model predictions. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]