Spectroscopic Observations of the M31 UV Transient, TCP J00423876+4110453
ATel #3744; A. W. Shafter (SDSU), M. J. Darnley, M. F. Bode ((Liverpool JMU, UK), K. Hornoch (Astronomical Institute, Ondrejov, Czech Republic)
on 7 Nov 2011; 16:28 UT
Credential Certification: Allen W. Shafter (aws@nova.sdsu.edu)
Subjects: Optical, Ultra-Violet, Nova, Transient
Referred to by ATel #: 3755
We report spectroscopic observations of the UV transient TCP J00423876+4110453 discovered by Henze et al. (ATel #3712) with the Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope (UVOT) on board the Swift satellite. At our request, a spectrum (410–900 nm) was obtained by M. Shetrone on 2011 Oct. 31.32 UT with the 9.2m Hobby-Eberly Telescope (+ Marcario Low-Resolution Spectrograph). The spectrum reveals unresolved Balmer and weak He I (λ 501.6 nm; λ 706.5 nm) emission features (FWHM Hα < ~500 km/s; EW Hα ~ -14.0 nm) superimposed on a shallow blue continuum. These observations
suggest that the object is unlikely to be a nova. Instead, given that the position of TCP J00423876+4110453 is within 0.74 arcsec of the reported position of the H-alpha emission line star LGGS J004238.77+411044.6 (Massey et al. 2007, AJ, 134, 2474), it is likely that the two designations refer to the same object.
A.W.S. thanks the NSF for support through AST-1009566.
