RR Tel: Getting under the Flux Limit - An Observation with FUSE

The goal of our FUSE proposal was to acquire observations of X-ray emission throughout an outburst cycle of a symbiotic stars. If symbiotics are thermonuclear powered, we expect the emission to follow the evolution of a typical classical nova, where soft X-ray emission strengthens as the optical brightness fades. In accretion models, we expect the X-ray emission to follow the behavior exhibited by dwarf novae, where hard X-rays strengthen relative to soft X-rays as the optical brightness fades. During the time period for this grant, we were fortunate that the prototypical symbiotic Z And began a major eruption and is only now returning to quiescence.