Dramatic change in the boundary layer in the symbiotic recurrent nova T Coronae Borealis

A sudden increase in the rate at which material reaches the most internal part of an accretion disk, i.e., the boundary layer, can change its structure dramatically. We have witnessed such a change for the first time in the symbiotic recurrent nova T CrB. Our analysis of XMM-Newton, Swift Burst Alert Telescope (BAT)/X-Ray Telescope (XRT)/UltraViolet Optical Telescope (UVOT), and the American Association of Variable Stars Observers (AAVSO) V- and B-band data indicates that during an optical brightening event that started in early 2014 (ΔV ≈ 1.5) the following occurred: (i) the hard X-ray emission as seen with BAT almost vanished; (ii) the XRT X-ray flux decreased significantly, while the optical flux remained high; (iii) the UV flux increased by at least a factor of 40 over the quiescent value; and (iv) the X-ray spectrum became much softer and a bright, new blackbody-like component appeared. We suggest that the optical brightening event, which could be a similar event to that observed about 8 years before the most recent thermonuclear outburst in 1946, is due to a disk instability.Fil: Luna, Gerardo Juan Manuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciónes Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio. - Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio; ArgentinaFil: Mukai, K.. Cresst And X-ray Astrophysics Laboratory, Nasa/gcfc; Estados UnidosFil: Sokoloski, J. L.. Columbia University; Estados UnidosFil: Nelson, T.. University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown; Estados UnidosFil: Kuin, P.. University College London; Estados UnidosFil: Segreto, A.. Inaf-istituto Di Astrofisica Spaziale E Fisica Cosmica; ItaliaFil: Cusumano, Julio Ricardo. Inaf-istituto Di Astrofisica Spaziale E Fisica Cosmica; ItaliaFil: Jaque Arancibia, Marcelo Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Juan. Instituto de Ciencias Astronómicas, de la Tierra y del Espacio. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Instituto de Ciencias Astronómicas, de la Tierra y del Espacio; ArgentinaFil: Nuñez, Natalia Edith. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Juan. Instituto de Ciencias Astronómicas, de la Tierra y del Espacio. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Instituto de Ciencias Astronómicas, de la Tierra y del Espacio; Argentin