Nucleosynthesis in classical novae: CO versus ONe white dwarfs

Detailed nucleosynthesis in the ejecta of classical novae has been determined for a grid of hydrodynamic nova models. The reported 14 evolutionary sequences, followed from the onset of accretion up to the explosion and ejection stages, span a range of CO and ONe white dwarf masses (0.8-1.35 M-circle dot) and mixing levels between the accreted envelope and the underlying white dwarf core (25%-75%). The synthesis of each isotope from H-1 to Ca-40 is discussed, along with its sensitivity to model parameters. Special emphasis is placed on isotopes such as C-13, N-15, and O-17 whose synthesis may account for a significant fraction of their Galactic content. Production of the radioactive isotopes Be-7, Na-22, and Al-26 is also analyzed, since they may provide a direct test of the thermonuclear runaway model through their gamma-ray emission. The resulting elemental yields reproduce the spectroscopic abundance determinations of several well-studied classical novae fairly well.