Spectroscopic classification of M31N 2016-07c and M31 KAIT-16ai/MASTEROTJ004003.13+414518.7 as classical novae in M31
ATel #9296; K. Chinetti (Caltech), M. J. Darnley (LJMU), S. C. Williams (Lancaster)
on 1 Aug 2016; 15:39 UT
Credential Certification: Matt Darnley (M.J.Darnley@ljmu.ac.uk)
Subjects: Optical, Nova, Transient
Referred to by ATel #: 9351
We obtained spectra of nova candidates M31N 2016-07c (ATel #9264) and M31 KAIT-16ai/MASTEROTJ004003.13+414518.7 (ATel #9271) using the SPRAT spectrograph (Piascik et al. 2014) on the 2m Liverpool Telescope (Steele et al. 2004).
M31N 2016-07c is located at RA 00:43:57.94, DEC +41:34:54.6 (J2000.0, consistent with the ATel #9264 position). A spectrum obtained on 2016 July 26.039 UT shows Hα and Hβ emission, with FWHM 1300 ± 100 km/s. From this, we conclude that M31N 2016-07c is an eruption of a classical nova in M31. This nova was first detected 2016 July 22.024 UT, by the time this spectrum was obtained (t=4 days) the nova had faded significantly hindering the identification of any other lines in the spectrum. However, a tentative detection of O I (7773 Å) and the relative low velocities hint at the nova belonging to the Fe II taxonomic class.
MASTEROTJ004003.13+414518.7 is located at RA 00:40:03.13, DEC +41:45:18.7 (J2000.0, consistent with the MASTER position; ATel #9271). A spectrum obtained on 2016 July 28.152 shows strong, FWHM 5000 ± 300 km/s Balmer (Hα-δ) emission with a clear double-peaked line morphology. The spectrum also shows He I (4471, 5016, 5876 Å), N II (5001, 5679 Å), N III (4640 Å), and possibly He II (4686 Å) emission lines. As such, we conclude that MASTEROTJ004003.13+414518.7 is a classical nova belonging to the He/N taxonomic class.
This work is part of an international undergraduate internship supported by the NSF PIRE GROWTH program.
