SOFIA Observations of Dust Formation in Nova V5668 Sgr (2015 #2)

ATel #7862; Robert D. Gehrz (University of Minnesota), Aneurin Evans (University of Keele),Charles E. Woodward (University of Minnesota), Luke Keller (Ithaca College), L. Andrew Helton (USRA/SOFIA), Dinesh Shenoy (University of Minnesota), D. P. K. . Banerjee (Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, India), N. M. Ashok Physical (Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, India), Sumner G. Starrfield (Arizona State University), Gregory Schwarz (American Astronomical Society), R. Mark Wagner (Large Binocular Telescope Observatory), Joachim Krautter (Landessternwarte Heidelberg), Stewart Eyres (University of Central Lancashire), Mark Rushton (University of Central Lancashire), Tiina Liimets (Tartu Observatory, University of Tartu), Shazrene S. Mohamed (South African Astronomical Observatory),
on 1 Aug 2015; 16:05 UT
Distributed as an Instant Email Notice Novae
Credential Certification: Robert Gehrz (gehrz@astro.umn.edu)

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We have followed the early phases of dust formation in Nova V5668 Sgr (Nova Sgr 2015 #2) with the FORCAST science instrument on the NASA Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). A spectrum on 2015 June 05, that we interpret as showing the early nucleation phase, showed a ~ 1100 K dust continuum overlain by weak hydrogen emission lines. On 2015 July 06, the energy in the dust emission continuum had increased by a factor of ~ 40, the grain temperature had fallen to ~ 750 K, and the dust continuum had completely blanketed the hydrogen emission. We attribute these effects to the rapid growth of the grains to sub-micron radii.