Progenitor of TCP J17234205-3103072 is a pulsating red giant
ATel #14017; Przemek Mroz (Caltech), Andrzej Udalski (Warsaw U.), on behalf of the OGLE team
on 16 Sep 2020; 10:50 UT
Credential Certification: Przemek Mroz (pmroz@astrouw.edu.pl)
Subjects: Optical, Cataclysmic Variable, Nova, Transient, Variables
Aydi et al. (ATel #14015) reported high-resolution optical spectra of the transient TCP J17234205-3103072. They concluded that the transient may be either a symbiotic nova or possibly a red nova.
The object is located in the field BLG920 that has been observed since 2015 by the
OGLE survey as part of the OGLE Galaxy Variability Survey (Udalski et al. 2015, Acta Astron. 65, 1). The position of TCP J17234205-3103072 is coincident with a bright source (I=14.50) listed as BLG920.22.71 in the OGLE database.
The archival OGLE light curve reveals a high-amplitude (~1.0 mag peak-to-peak) variability with a possible period of 140.5 +/- 0.8 d, which is typical of pulsating semiregular red giants. Therefore, the object is likely a symbiotic nova.
