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Register a new userThe double outburst of the unique object V838 Mon
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Authors
J.P. Osiwala
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We present spectroscopic and photometric observations of the recent peculiar outburst of V838 Mon, carried out at Rozhen and Torun observatories. Our data cover a period of three months beginning just before the second eruption. The evolution of the outburst is divided into four phases. The changes of particular spectral features for each of these phases are shortly discussed.
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The unusual eruptive variable discovered in Monoceros in 2002 January underwent dramatic photometric and spectroscopic changes in the months prior to its 2002 June-August conjunction with the Sun. Optical and infrared (IR) photometry obtained at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) between 2002 January and June (JD 2452280-440) is presented here in an analysis of the stars post-outburst behaviour. The light curve indicated 3 eruptions took place in 2002 January, February and March. SAAO echelle spectra obtained in the week prior to the March maximum indicated the ejection of a new shell of material. JHKL photometry obtained during 2002 April showed the development of an IR excess due to the formation of a dust shell. The shell appears to be largely responsible for the rapid fade in the optical flux during 2002 April-May (Delta V > 6 mag within 3 weeks). Blueing of the optical colours during the decline is likely due either to the revealing of an emission line region surrounding V838 Mon, or the unveiling of the progenitor or a spatially-close early-type star.
We present photometric and high- and low-resolution spectroscopic observations of the unusual outburst of V838 Mon. The data were collected at the NAO Rozhen, Bulgaria and at the Torun Observatory, Poland. Analysis of the peculiar behavior of the spectrum of the star is given. The stars radial velocity of +60 km/s is derived. A brief discussion concerning the nature of the object is also given.
We present the results of modelling the 0.45--1 micron spectral energy distribution of V838 Mon for 2002 November. Synthetic spectra were calculated using the NextGen model atmospheres of Hauschildt et al. (1999), which incorporate line lists for H2O, TiO, CrH, FeH, CO, and MgH, as well as the VALD atomic line list. Fits to the observed spectra show that, in 2002 November, the effective temperature of V838 Mon was approximately 2000 +/-100 K. Our theoretical spectra show a comparatively weak dependence on log g. Preliminary analysis of the hot star observed together with V838 Mon shows it to be a normal B3V dwarf.
Extensive optical and infrared photometry as well as low and high resolution spectroscopy are used as inputs in deriving robust estimates of the reddening, distance and nature of the progenitor of V838 Mon. The reddening is found to obey the R_V=3.1 law and amounts to (i) E(B-V)=0.86 from the interstellar NaI and KI lines, (ii) E(B-V)=0.88 from the energy distribution of the B3V component and (iii) E(B-V)=0.87 from the progression of extinction along the line of sight. The adopted E(B-V)=0.87(+/-0.01) is also the amount required by fitting the progenitor with theoretical isochrones of appropriate metallicity. The distance is estimated from (a) the galactic kinematics of the three components of the interstellar lines, (b) the amount of extinction vs the HI column density and vs the dust emission through the whole Galaxy in that direction, from (c) spectrophotometric parallax to the B3V companion, from (d) comparison of the observed color-magnitude diagram of field stars with 3D stellar population models of the Galaxy, from (e) comparison of theoretical isochrones with the components of the binary system in quiescence and found to be around 10 kpc. Pre-outburst optical and IR energy distributions show that the component erupting in 2002 was brighter and hotter than the B3V companion. The best fit is obtained for a 50,000 K source, 0.5 mag brighter than the B3V companion. Comparison with theoretical isochrones suggests an age of 4 million year for the system and a mass around 65 M(sun) for the progenitor of the outbursting component, which at the time of the outburst was approaching the Carbon ignition stage in its core. The 2002 event is probably just a shell thermonuclear event in the outer envelope of the star.
We report spectra of the overtone and fundamental bands of CO in the eruptive variable V838 Mon, which trace the recent evolution of the star and allow its ejecta to be characterized. The data were obtained at the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope on fourteen nights from 2002 January, shortly after the first outburst of the star, to 2006 April. Although the near-infrared stellar spectrum superficially resembled a cool supergiant after both the first and third of its outbursts in 2002, its infrared photosphere at that time consisted of highly blueshifted gas that was moving outward from the original stellar surface. A spectrum obtained during the third outburst reveals a remarkable combination of emission and absorption in the CO first overtone bands. The most recent observations show a composite spectrum that includes a stellar-like photosphere at a temperature similar to that seen just after the initial outburst, but at a radial velocity redshifted by 15 km/s relative to the stellar velocity determined from SiO maser emission, suggesting that the atmosphere is now contracting. Three shell components, corresponding to expansion velocities of 15, 85, and 145 km/s, also are present, but absorption is seen at all expansion velocities out to 200km/s. Weak absorption features of fundamental band lines of 13CO have been detected. However, the large uncertainty in the value of [12C/13C] does not constrain the evolutionary status of the progenitor.
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