Spectroscopic confirmation of PNV J00432114+4124597 - An erupting luminous nova in M31
ATel #8109; M. J. Darnley (LJMU), A. W. Shafter (SDSU), S. C. Williams (LJMU), K. Hornoch (Astronomical Institute, Ondrejov, Czech Republic), M. Henze (IEEC/CSIC), S. Fabrika (Special Astrophysical Observatory)
on 1 Oct 2015; 06:53 UT
Credential Certification: Matt Darnley (M.J.Darnley@ljmu.ac.uk)
Subjects: Optical, Nova, Transient
We obtained a pair of spectra of the suspected luminous M31 nova PNV J00432114+4124597 (see ATel #8108 and CBAT TOC) with the SPRAT spectrograph on the Liverpool Telescope at 2015 September 29.9 UT and 30.9 UT.
Both spectra show a clear blue continuum. The first spectrum displays a series of blue-shifted absorption lines. By the time of the second spectrum these lines had developed into P Cygni profiles. This indicates the presence of an expanding and optically thick ejecta.
Both spectra contain the following lines; Hydrogen Balmer series (Hα, Hβ, Hγ, and Hδ), O I (7773 Å), Si II (6347, 6371 Å), Na I (5892 (D), 6159 Å), and numerous Fe II lines. The expansion velocity implied by the Hα P Cygni profile in the second spectrum is ~1300 km/s
These spectra confirm that PNV J00432114+4124597 is an erupting nova in M31, caught at or around maximum light. The lines visible in the spectra are consistent with the Fe II spectroscopic class (as defined by Williams, 2012).
