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Dust formation in Nova Cephei 2013

ATel #5269; J. P. Ninan, D. K. Ojha, S. K. Ghosh (TIFR, Mumbai), G. C. Anupama, T. P. Prabhu, B. C. Bhatt (IIA, Bangalore)
on 13 Aug 2013; 01:56 UT
Credential Certification: Devendra Ojha (ojha@tifr.res.in)

Subjects: Infra-Red, Cataclysmic Variable, Nova

Referred to by ATel #: 5375, 5389

We report near-infrared K band photometry and spectroscopy of Nova Cephei 2013, discovered by K. Nishiyama and F. Kabashima on 2013 Feb 2.4 UT (cf. CBET #3397, ATel #4950, #4893, #5026). The observations were made using the 2-m Himalayan Chandra telescope (+TIFR Near Infrared Imager and Spectrometer, TIRSPEC) at the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO), Hanle (Ladakh). The estimated K band magnitudes of nova were: 2013 June 23 UT, 7.40 +/-0.02 and 2013 July 8 UT 7.84 +/- 0.02; the source brightness has therefore dimmed by 0.44 mag in K band during 16 days. The formation of dust is clearly reflected in the K band spectra (~2.04 - 2.35 microns) taken on 2013 July 8 UT with TIRSPEC, which show a featureless continuum with signi?cant IR excess possibly due to emission by the newly formed dust. This supports the suggestions of Munari et al. and Raj et al. (ATel #4893; #5026) that the dust formation has taken place in the nova.