M31N 2008-12a - the remarkable recurrent nova in M31 : Pan-Chromatic observations of the 2015 eruption

Darnley, M. J. and Henze, M. and Bode, M. F. and Hachisu, I. and Hernanz, M. and Hornoch, K. and Hounsell, R. and Kato, M. and Ness, J. -U. and Osborne, J. P. and Page, K. L. and Ribeiro, V. A. R. M. and Rodriguez-Gil, P. and Shafter, A. W. and Shara, M. M. and Steele, I. A. and Williams, S. C. and Arai, A. and Arcavi, I. and Barsukova, E. A. and Boumis, P. and Chen, T. and Fabrika, S. and Figueira, J. and Gehrels, N. and Godon, P. and Goranskij, V. P. and Harman, D. J. and Hartmann, D. H. and Hosseinzadeh, G. and Horst, J. Chuck and Itagaki, K. and Jose, J. and Kabashima, F. and Kaur, A. and Kawai, N. and Kennea, J. A. and Kiyota, S. and Kucakova, H. and Lau, K. M. and Maehara, H. and Naito, H. and Nakajima, K. and Nishiyama, K. and O'Brien, T. J. and Quimby, R. and Sala, G. and Sano, Y. and Sion, E. M. and Valeev, A. F. and Watanabe, F. and Watanabe, M. and Williams, B. F. and Xu, Z. (2016) M31N 2008-12a - the remarkable recurrent nova in M31 : Pan-Chromatic observations of the 2015 eruption. The Astrophysical Journal, 833 (2): 149. ISSN 0004-637X

[thumbnail of 1607.08082v2]
Preview
PDF (1607.08082v2)
1607.08082v2.pdf - Accepted Version

Download (2MB)

Abstract

The Andromeda Galaxy recurrent nova M31N 2008-12a had been observed in eruption ten times, including yearly eruptions from 2008-2014. With a measured recurrence period of $P_\mathrm{rec}=351\pm13$ days (we believe the true value to be half of this) and a white dwarf very close to the Chandrasekhar limit, M31N 2008-12a has become the leading pre-explosion supernova type Ia progenitor candidate. Following multi-wavelength follow-up observations of the 2013 and 2014 eruptions, we initiated a campaign to ensure early detection of the predicted 2015 eruption, which triggered ambitious ground and space-based follow-up programs. In this paper we present the 2015 detection; visible to near-infrared photometry and visible spectroscopy; and ultraviolet and X-ray observations from the Swift observatory. The LCOGT 2m (Hawaii) discovered the 2015 eruption, estimated to have commenced at Aug. $28.28\pm0.12$ UT. The 2013-2015 eruptions are remarkably similar at all wavelengths. New early spectroscopic observations reveal short-lived emission from material with velocities $\sim13000$ km s$^{-1}$, possibly collimated outflows. Photometric and spectroscopic observations of the eruption provide strong evidence supporting a red giant donor. An apparently stochastic variability during the early super-soft X-ray phase was comparable in amplitude and duration to past eruptions, but the 2013 and 2015 eruptions show evidence of a brief flux dip during this phase. The multi-eruption Swift/XRT spectra show tentative evidence of high-ionization emission lines above a high-temperature continuum. Following Henze et al. (2015a), the updated recurrence period based on all known eruptions is $P_\mathrm{rec}=174\pm10$ d, and we expect the next eruption of M31N 2008-12a to occur around mid-Sep. 2016.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
The Astrophysical Journal
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/3100/3103
Subjects:
?? astro-ph.srastro-ph.hegalaxies: individual (m31)novae, cataclysmic variablesstars: individual (m31n 2008-12a)ultraviolet: stars x-rays: binariesastronomy and astrophysicsspace and planetary science ??
ID Code:
81418
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
18 Oct 2016 15:54
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
31 Dec 2023 00:43