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Register a new userGMRT Observations of the 2006 outburst of the Nova RS Ophiuchi: First detection of emission at radio frequencies < 1.4 GHz
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N. G. Kantharia
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The first low radio frequency (<1.4 GHz) detection of the outburst of the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi is presented in this letter. Radio emission was detected at 0.61 GHz on day 20 with a flux density of ~48 mJy and at 0.325 GHz on day 38 with a flux density of ~ 44 mJy. This is in contrast with the 1985 outburst when it was not detected at 0.327 GHz even on day 66. The emission at low radio frequencies is clearly non-thermal and is well-explained by a synchrotron spectrum of index alpha ~ -0.8 (S propto nu^alpha) suffering foreground absorption due to the pre-existing, ionized, warm, clumpy red giant wind. The absence of low frequency radio emission in 1985 and the earlier turn-on of the radio flux in the current outburst are interpreted as being due to higher foreground absorption in 1985 compared to that in 2006, suggesting that the overlying wind densities in 2006 are only ~30% of those in 1985.
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We present infrared spectroscopy of the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi, obtained 11.81, 20.75 and 55.71 days following its 2006 eruption. The spectra are dominated by hydrogen recombination lines, together with HeI, OI and OII lines; the electron temperature of ~10^4 K implied by the recombination spectrum suggests that we are seeing primarily the wind of the red giant, ionized by the ultraviolet flash when RS Oph erupted. However, strong coronal emission lines (i.e. emission from fine structure transitions in ions having high ionization potential) are present in the last spectrum. These imply a temperature of 930000K for the coronal gas; this is in line with x-ray observations of the 2006 eruption. The emission line widths decrease with time in a way that is consistent with the shock model for the x-ray emission.
Following the Swift X-ray observations of the 2006 outburst of the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi, we developed hydrodynamical models of mass ejection from which the forward shock velocities were used to estimate the ejecta mass and velocity. In order to further constrain our model parameters, here we present synthetic X-ray spectra from our hydrodynamical calculations which we compare to the Swift data. An extensive set of simulations was carried out to find a model which best fits the spectra up to 100 days after outburst. We find a good fit at high energies but require additional absorption to match the low energy emission. We estimate the ejecta mass to be in the range (2-5) x 10^{-7} solar masses and the ejection velocity to be greater than 6000 km/s (and probably closer to 10,000 km/s). We also find that estimates of shock velocity derived from gas temperatures via standard model fits to the X-ray spectra are much lower than the true shock velocities.
Optical spectra of the 2006 outburst of RS Ophiuchi beginning one day after discovery to over a year after the outburst are presented here. The spectral evolution is found to be similar to that in previous outbursts. The early phase spectra are dominated by hydrogen and helium (I & II) lines. Coronal and nebular lines appear in the later phases. Emission line widths are found to narrow with time, which is interpreted as a shock expanding into the red giant wind. Using the photoionisation code CLOUDY, spectra at nine epochs spanning 14 months after the outburst peak, thus covering a broad range of ionisation and excitation levels in the ejecta, are modelled. The best-fit model parameters indicate the presence of a hot white dwarf source with a roughly constant luminosity of 1.26 x 10^{37} erg/s. During first three months, the abundances (by number) of He, N, O, Ne, Ar, Fe, Ca, S and Ni are found above solar abundances; abundances of these elements decreased in the later phase. Also presented are spectra obtained during quiescence. Photoionisation model of the quiescence spectrum indicates the presence of a low luminosity accretion disk. The helium abundance is found to be subsolar at quiescence.
Near-infrared spectra are presented for the recent 2006 outburst of the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi (RS Oph).We report the rare detection of an infrared shock wave as the nova ejecta plows into the pre-existing wind of the secondary in the RS Oph system consisting of a white dwarf (WD) primary and a red giant secondary. The evolution of the shock is traced through a free expansion stage to a decelerative phase. The behavior of the shock velocity with time is found to be broadly consistent with current shock models. The present observations also imply that the WD in the RS Oph system has a high mass indicating that it could be a potential SNIa candidate. We also discuss the results from a recent study showing that the near-IR continuum from the recent RS Oph eruption does not originate in an expanding fireball. However, the present work shows that the IR line emission does have an origin in an expanding shock wave.
Swift X-ray observations of the ~60 day super-soft phase of the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi 2006 show the progress of nuclear burning on the white dwarf in exquisite detail. First seen 26 days after the optical outburst, this phase started with extreme variability likely due to variable absorption, although intrinsic white dwarf variations are not excluded. About 32 days later, a steady decline in count-rate set in. NLTE model atmosphere spectral fits during the super-soft phase show that the effective temperature of the white dwarf increases from ~65 eV to ~90 eV during the extreme variability phase, falling slowly after about day 60 and more rapidly after day 80. The bolometric luminosity is seen to be approximately constant and close to Eddington from day 45 up to day 60, the subsequent decline possibly signalling the end of extensive nuclear burning. Before the decline, a multiply-periodic, ~35 s modulation of the soft X-rays was present and may be the signature of a nuclear fusion driven instability. Our measurements are consistent with a white dwarf mass near the Chandrasekhar limit; combined with a deduced accumulation of mass transferred from its binary companion, this leads us to suggest RS Oph is a strong candidate for a future supernova explosion. The main uncertainty now is whether the WD is the CO type necessary for a SN Ia. This may be confirmed by detailed abundance analyses of spectroscopic data from the outbursts.
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