Nova LMC 2009
ATel #1930; Marina Orio (INAF-Padova & U Wisconsin), Elena Mason (ESO), Jay Gallagher (U Wisconsin) and Tim Abbott (CTIO)
on 11 Feb 2009; 23:18 UT
Credential Certification: Marina Orio (orio@astro.wisc.edu)
We obtained an optical spectrum of Nova LMC 2009 on 2009/2/6.9 with the
CTIO Blanco 4-m telescope using the R-C Cassegrain spectrograph and the
KPGL1-1 grating in the 3365-6435 Angstrom wavelength range. All
spectral features shortwards of H(delta) are blue shifted and primarily
in absorption, probably arising in an optically thick shell, while the
other features at longer wavelengths are in emission with P-Cyg
profiles. Most of the H-Balmer emission lines appear double peaked, with
the highest peak sometimes in the blue and sometimes in the red portion
of the line. We detect a strong H(beta) line with flux in emission 4E-12
erg/cm^2/s (about 600 Lsun), a prominent H(gamma) line with flux in
emission of 1E12 erg/cm^2/s, Other emission lines are broader and single
peaked, including He I at 4471 Angstroms and at 5016 Angstrom, (most
likely blended with Fe II), as well as the strong 5876 line with a
P-Cygni profile (9E-13 erg/cm^2/s). A pronounced emission blend of NII
and NIII is at 4650 Angstrom, and a blend of N II lines around 5690
Angstrom. The full width at half maximum of the emission lines is
slightly above 4200 km/s and the center of the P-Cyg absorption profiles
is blue shifted by 2700 to 2900 km/s, with a second component blue
shifted out to approximately 4800 km/s in H(gamma). The large expansion
velocity is typical of a recurrent nova and we find that the most
similar published spectrum of a nova at this stage is the one of U Sco
(Iijima, T. 2002, A&A, 387, 1013).
