PNV J15384000-4744500 is an optically thick classical nova
ATel #11681; Frederick M Walter (Stony Brook University)
on 5 Jun 2018; 04:47 UT
Distributed as an Instant Email Notice Novae
Credential Certification: Fred Walter (frederick.walter@stonybrook.edu)
PNV J15384000-4744500 is reported in the CBAT Transient Objects Confirmation Page
(http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/unconf/followups/J15384000-4744500.html)
as a possible galactic nova.
I obtained an R=28000 spectrum with the Chiron spectrograph on the SMARTS 1.5m
telescope at CTIO on the night of 3 June 2018 (JD 2458272.665). The spectrum clearly
shows that PNV J15384000-4744500 is a classical optically-thick nova near peak.
Hα, Hβ, many Fe II lines, the Ca II IR triplet, and the O I
λ7774 and λ8446 Angstrom lines show P Cygni
line profiles. There is a single absorption line system, with velocity
approximately -470 km/s with
respect to the emission peaks, and about -485 km/s with respect to the
interstellar Na D lines. Blue-shifted absorption is also seen in various N I
and C I lines.
The equivalent widths of the emission components are Hα and Hβ are
-10 and -0.6 A, respectively.
The equivalent widths of various diffuse interstellar bands suggest an
interstellar extinction of about 1.5 mag.
SMARTS observations of novae are supported by an NSF grant to Stony Brook University
and by Research Support from the Provost of Stony Brook University. I thank Leonardo
Paredes for scheduling this observation in a timely manner.
