Optical spectroscopic follow up of the classical nova ASASSN-21lk

ATel #14768; E. Aydi, A. Kawash, J. Strader, L. Chomiuk, K. V. Sokolovsky (MSU), H. Barker (Rutherford street observatory), P. Velez (ARAS), T. Bohlsen (SASER), K. Z. Stanek, C. S. Kochanek (OSU), and B. J. Shappee (Univ. of Hawaii)
on 9 Jul 2021; 02:08 UT
Credential Certification: Elias Aydi (aydielia@msu.edu)

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We report on spectroscopic follow up of the classical nova ASASSN-21lk, which was discovered by the All-Sky Automated Survey for SNe (ASAS-SN, Shappee et al. 2014, ApJ, 788, 48) on 2021-07-22.14UT, and was classified spectroscopically by Karambelkar et al. (ATel #14744).

We obtained several low- and medium-resolution spectra on the nights of 2021 June 28, 29, 30, July 02 and 04, using a variety of instruments, including the Goodman spectrograph (Clemens et al. 2004, SPIE, 5492, 331) on the 4.1 m SOAR telescope. The spectra taken on the nights of June 28, 29, and 30 showed emission lines of Balmer and Fe II, but we do not resolve absorption features in these spectra due to low S/N and resolution. In the later spectra, P Cygni profiles of Balmer, Fe II, and O I can be resolved, with absorption troughs at blueshifted velocities of around 1400 km/s and 1900 km/s. The Balmer P Cygni lines are superimposed on top of a broader emission with wings extending to 3500 km/s. The spectra are consistent with a classical nova after optical peak. The latest ASAS-SN light curve (Kochanek et al. 2017, PASP, 129, 4502): https://asas-sn.osu.edu/sky-patrol/coordinate/c910ee84-6baa-4e0f-ad97-25ab70fa6407

This ATel is based on observations obtained at the Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) telescope, which is a joint project of the Ministerio da Ciencia, Tecnologia, Inovacoes e Comunicacoes do Brasil (MCTIC/LNA), the U.S. National Science Foundation's National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), and Michigan State University (MSU).