Models have long predicted that the frequency-averaged masses of white dwarfs in Galactic classical novae are twice as large as those of field white dwarfs .
Only a handful of dynamically well-determined nova white dwarf masses have been published , leaving the theoretical predictions poorly tested .
The recurrence time distributions and mass accretion rate distributions of novae are even more poorly known .
To address these deficiencies , we have combined our extensive simulations of nova eruptions with the Strope et al .
( 66 ) and Schaefer ( 51 ) databases of outburst characteristics of Galactic classical and recurrent novae to determine the masses of 92 white dwarfs in novae .
We find that the mean mass ( frequency averaged mean mass ) of 82 Galactic classical novae is 1.06 ( 1.13 ) M _ { \odot } , while the mean mass of 10 recurrent novae is 1.31 M _ { \odot } .
These masses , and the observed nova outburst amplitude and decline time distributions allow us to determine the long-term mass accretion rate distribution of classical novae .
Remarkably , that value is just 1.3 \times 10 ^ { -10 } M _ { \odot } /yr , which is an order of magnitude smaller than that of cataclysmic binaries in the decades before and after classical nova eruptions .
This predicts that old novae become low mass transfer rate systems , and hence dwarf novae , for most of the time between nova eruptions .
We determine the mass accretion rates of each of the 10 known Galactic RN , finding them to be in the range 10 ^ { -7 } - 10 ^ { -8 } M _ { \odot } /yr .
We are able to predict the recurrence time distribution of novae and compare it with the predictions of population synthesis models .