The enigma of the oldest 'nova': the central star and nebula of CK Vul

CK Vul is classified as, amongst others, the slowest known nova, a hibernating nova or a very late thermal pulse object. Following its eruption in ad 1670, the star remained visible for 2 yr. A 15-arcsec nebula was discovered in the 1980s, but the star itself has not been detected since the eruption. We here present radio images which reveal a 0.1-arcsec radio source with a flux of 1.5 mJy at 5 GHz. Deep Hα images show a bipolar nebula with a longest extension of 70 arcsec, with the previously known compact nebula at its waist. The emission-line ratios show that the gas is shock-ionized, at velocities  >100 km s⁻¹  . Dust emission yields an envelope mass of  ∼5 × 10⁻² M_⊙  . Echelle spectra indicate outflow velocities up to 360 km s⁻¹. From a comparison of images obtained in 1991 and 2004 we find evidence for expansion of the nebula, consistent with an origin in the 1670 explosion; the measured expansion is centred on the radio source. No optical or infrared counterpart is found at the position of the radio source. The radio emission is interpreted as thermal free–free emission from gas with   T _e∼ 10⁴ K  . The radio source may be due to a remnant circumbinary disc, similar to those seen in some binary post-AGB stars. We discuss possible classifications of this unique outburst, including that of a sub-Chandrasekhar mass supernova, a nova eruption on a cool, low-mass white dwarf or a thermal pulse induced by accretion from a circumbinary disc.     

Spectroscopy and orbital periods of the old novae V533 Herculis, V446 Herculis and X Serpentis

We report spectroscopic orbital periods of 0.147 d (=3.53 h) for V533 Her, 0.207 d (=4.97 h) for V446 Her and 1.478 d for X Ser. V533 Her (Nova Herculis 1963) shows absorption features in its He  i and Balmer lines which appear only in a limited range of orbital phase, suggesting that it is a low-inclination SW Sextantis star. V446 Her is unusual in that it has started normal dwarf nova eruptions after a nova outburst, but we find nothing else unusual about it – in particular, a distance estimate based on its dwarf nova outbursts agrees nicely with another based on the rate of decline of its nova eruption, both giving d ∼1 kpc. In X Ser, unlike in other old novae with long periods, no spectral features of the secondary star are visible. This and its outburst magnitude both suggest that it is quite distant and luminous, and at least 1 kpc from the Galactic plane.     

A double-frequency dwarf nova oscillation in OY Car

We have detected coherent oscillations ('dwarf nova oscillations') in Hubble Space Telescope spectra of the dwarf nova OY Car. The oscillations were seen towards the end of a superoutburst of OY Car. The oscillations are extraordinary compared with the many other examples in the literature for two reasons. First, their amplitude is large, with a peak-to-peak variation of 8 to 20 per cent of the total flux over the range 1100 to 2500 Å. However, most remarkably we find that there are two components present simultaneously. Both have periods close to 18 s (equivalent to 4800 cycle d⁻¹) but they are separated by 57.7 ± 0.5 cycle d⁻¹. The lower frequency component of the pair has a strong second harmonic while its companion, which has about twice its amplitude, does not. The oscillation spectra appear hotter than the mean spectrum and approximately follow the continuum distribution of a blackbody with a temperature in the range 30 000 to 50 000 K. We tentatively suggest that the weaker non-sinusoidal component could represent the rotation of the white dwarf, although we have been unable to recover any such signal in quiescent data.     

Infrared spectroscopy of Nova Cassiopeiae 1993 – IV. A closer look at the dust

Nova Cassiopeiae 1993 (V705 Cas) was an archetypical dust-forming nova. It displayed a deep minimum in the visual light curve, and spectroscopic evidence for carbon, hydrocarbon and silicate dust. We report the results of fitting the infrared (IR) spectral energy distribution (SED) with the dusty code, which we use to determine the properties and geometry of the emitting dust. The emission is well described as originating in a thin shell whose dust has a carbon:silicate ratio of 2:1 by number (  ∼1.26:1  by mass) and a relatively flat size distribution. The 9.7- and 18-μm silicate features are consistent with freshly condensed dust and, while the lower limit to the grain size distribution is not well constrained, the largest grains have dimensions  ∼0.06 μm  ; unless the grains in V705 Cas were anomalously small, the sizes of grains produced in nova eruptions may previously have been overestimated in novae with optically thick dust shells. Laboratory work by Grishko & Duley may provide clues to the apparently unique nature of nova unidentified infrared (UIR) features.     

The recovery of the old nova RS Car (1895)

Low-resolution spectra, taken at La Silla (ESO), identify the old nova RS Car (1895) as a ∼18 mag star located 7 arcsec southwest from the previous published position. This suggests a much brighter absolute magnitude of the old nova, M _v ∼5.4, than previously suspected. The spectrum reveals a continuum energy distribution typical of optically thick accretion discs and quite a high excitation state of the gas. The possible detection of the AlO λ 4843 emission band is discussed.     

Variability and multiperiodic oscillations in the X-ray light curve of the classical nova V4743 Sgr

The classical nova V4743 Sgr was observed with XMM–Newton for about 10 h on 2003 April 4, 6.5 months after optical maximum. At this time, this nova had become the brightest supersoft X-ray source ever observed. In this paper, we present the results of a time-series analysis performed on the X-ray light curve (LC) obtained in this observation, and in a previous shorter observation done with Chandra 16 d earlier. Intense variability, with amplitude as large as 40 per cent of the total flux, was observed both times. Similarities can be found between the two observations in the structure of the variations. Most of the variability is well represented as a combination of oscillations at a set of discrete frequencies lower than 1.7 mHz. At least five frequencies are constant over the 16 d time interval between the two observations. We suggest that a period in the power spectrum of both LCs at the frequency of 0.75 mHz and its first harmonic are related to the spin period of the white dwarf (WD) in the system, and that other observed frequencies are signatures of non-radial WD pulsations. A possible signal with a 24 000 s period is also found in the XMM–Newton LC: a cycle and a half are clearly identified. This period is consistent with the 24 278 s periodicity discovered in the optical LC of the source and thought to be the orbital period of the nova binary stellar system.     

A non-main-sequence secondary in SY Cancri

Simultaneous spectroscopic and photometric observations of the Z Cam type dwarf nova SY Cancri were used to obtain absolute flux calibrations. A comparison of the photometric calibration with a wide-slit spectrophotometric calibration showed that either method is equally satisfactory. A radial velocity study of the secondary star, made using the far-red Na  i doublet, yielded a semi-amplitude of   K ₂= 127 ± 23 km s⁻¹  . Taking the published value of  86 ± 9 km s⁻¹  for K ₁ gives a mass ratio of   q = M ₂/ M ₁= 0.68 ± 0.14  ; this is very different from the value of  1.13 ± 0.35  quoted in the literature. Using the new lower mass ratio, and constraining the mass of the white dwarf to be within reasonable limits, then leads to a mass for the secondary star that is substantially less than would be expected for its orbital period if it satisfied a main-sequence mass–radius relationship. We find a spectral type of M0 that is consistent with that expected for a main-sequence star of the low mass we have found. However, in order to fill its Roche lobe, the secondary must be significantly larger than a main-sequence star of that mass and spectral type. The secondary is definitely not a normal main-sequence star.     

Observations of the extreme-ultraviolet transient RE J1255+266: a short outburst of a WZ Sge system?

We present a previously unpublished ROSAT Wide Field Camera observation of the transient source RE J1255+266 made just 4 d before the discovery observations. The source is not detected, limiting the duration of the outburst to be less than expected for a superoutburst of a WZ Sge system.
We also present a marginal detection of X-ray emission from RE J1255+266 using ASCA . The most probable luminosity is 6×10²⁹ erg s⁻¹, which is very similar to WZ Sge itself.
We discuss the nature of the source in the light of these observations, and conclude that it is most probably a WZ Sge system, but that the observed outburst must have been a normal dwarf nova outburst.     

The X-ray and extreme-ultraviolet flux evolution of SS Cygni throughout outburst

We present the most complete multiwavelength coverage of any dwarf nova outburst: simultaneous optical, Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer and Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer observations of SS Cygni throughout a narrow asymmetric outburst. Our data show that the high-energy outburst begins in the X-ray waveband 0.9–1.4 d after the beginning of the optical rise and 0.6 d before the extreme-ultraviolet rise. The X-ray flux drops suddenly, immediately before the extreme-ultraviolet flux rise, supporting the view that both components arise in the boundary layer between the accretion disc and white dwarf surface. The early rise of the X-ray flux shows that the propagation time of the outburst heating wave may have been previously overestimated.
The transitions between X-ray and extreme-ultraviolet dominated emission are accompanied by intense variability in the X-ray flux, with time-scales of minutes. As detailed by Mauche & Robinson, dwarf nova oscillations are detected throughout the extreme-ultraviolet outburst, but we find they are absent from the X-ray light curve.
X-ray and extreme-ultraviolet luminosities imply accretion rates of  3 × 10¹⁵ g s⁻¹  in quiescence,  1 × 10¹⁶ g s⁻¹  when the boundary layer becomes optically thick, and  ∼10¹⁸ g s⁻¹  at the peak of the outburst. The quiescent accretion rate is two and a half orders of magnitude higher than predicted by the standard disc instability model, and we suggest this may be because the inner accretion disc in SS Cyg is in a permanent outburst state.     

The mass of the white dwarf in the old nova BT Mon

We present spectrophotometry of the eclipsing old nova BT Mon (Nova Mon 1939). By detecting weak absorption features from the secondary star, we find its radial velocity semi-amplitude to be K _R = 205 ± 5 km s⁻¹ and its rotational velocity to be v  sin  i  = 138 ± 5 km s⁻¹. We also measure the radial velocity semi-amplitude of the primary star to be K _R = 170 ± 10 km s⁻¹. From these parameters we obtain a mass of 1.04 ± 0.06 M⊙ for the white dwarf primary star and a mass of 0.87 ⊙ 0.06 M⊙ for the G8 V secondary star. The inclination of the system is found to be 82^°_.2 ± 32^°_.2 and we estimate that the system lies at a distance of 1700 ± 300 pc. The high mass of the white dwarf and our finding that BT Mon was probably a fast nova together constitute a new piece of evidence in favour of the thermonuclear runaway model of classical nova outbursts. The emission lines are single-peaked throughout the orbital cycle, showing absorption around phase 0.5, high-velocity S-wave components and large phase offsets in their radial velocity curves. In each of these respects, BT Mon is similar to the SW Sex stars. We also find quasi-periodic flaring in the trailed spectra, which makes BT Mon a candidate intermediate polar.     

Discovery of irradiation-induced variations in the light curve of the classical nova V2275 Cyg (N Cyg 2001 No. 2)

We present charge-coupled device (CCD) photometry, light curve and time-series analysis of the classical nova V2275 Cyg (N Cyg 2001 No. 2). The source was observed for 14 nights in total in 2002 and 2003 using an R filter with the 1.5-m Russian–Turkish joint telescope (RTT150) at the TUBITAK National Observatory in Antalya, Turkey, as part of a large programme on the CCD photometry of cataclysmic variables. We report the detection of two distinct periodicities in the light curve of the nova: (a)   P ₁= 0.314 49(15) d [7.6 h]  , and (b)   P ₂= 0.017 079(17) d [24.6 min]  . The first period is evident in both 2002 and 2003 whereas the second period is only detected in the 2003 data set. We interpret the first period as the orbital period of the system and attribute the orbital variations to aspect changes of the secondary irradiated by the hot white dwarf (WD). We suggest that the nova was a supersoft X-ray source in 2002 and, perhaps, in 2003. The second period could be a quasi-periodic oscillation originating from the oscillation of the ionization front (due to a hot WD) below the inner Lagrange point or a beat frequency in the system as a result of the magnetic nature of the WD if steady accretion has already been re-established.     

Emission-line oscillations in the dwarf nova V2051 Ophiuchi

We have detected coherent oscillations, at multiple frequencies, in the line and continuum emission of the eclipsing dwarf nova V2051 Ophiuchi using the 10-m Keck II telescope. Our own novel data acquisition system allowed us to obtain very fast spectroscopy using a continuous readout of the CCD on the LRIS spectrograph. This is the first time that dwarf nova oscillations have been detected and resolved in the emission lines. The accretion disc is highly asymmetric with a stronger contribution from the blueshifted side of the disc during our observations. The disc extends from close to the white dwarf out to the outer regions of the primary Roche lobe.
Continuum oscillations at 56.12 s and its first harmonic at 28.06 s are most likely to originate on the surface of a spinning white dwarf with the fundamental period corresponding to the spin period. Balmer and helium emission lines oscillate with a period of 29.77 s at a mean amplitude of 1.9 per cent. The line kinematics and the eclipse constraints indicate an origin in the accretion disc at a radius of 12±2 R _wd. The amplitude of the emission-line oscillation modulates (0–4 per cent) at a period of 488 s, corresponding to the Kepler period at R =12 R _wd. This modulation is caused by the beating between the white dwarf spin and the orbital motion in the disc.
The observed emission-line oscillations cannot be explained by a truncated disc as in the intermediate polars. The observations suggest a non-axisymmetric bulge in the disc, orbiting at 12 R _wd, is required. The close correspondence between the location of the oscillations and the circularization radius of the system suggests that stream overflow effects may be of relevance.     

UBV photometry, UV spectroscopy and radio observations of the peculiar binary V Sagittae

We have performed high-speed UBV photometric observations on the peculiar binary V Sagittae. Using three new eclipse timings we update the orbital ephemeris and convert it to a dynamical time-scale (TDB). We also searched for quasi-periodic oscillations but did not detect them. Using the Wilson–Devinney algorithm we have modelled the light curve to find the stellar parameters of V Sge. We find that the system is a detached binary but that the primary star is very close to filling its Roche lobe, while the secondary star fills 90 per cent of its Roche lobe volume. We find temperatures of the primary and the secondary star to be T ₁=41 000 K and T ₂=22 000 K. We find i =72° and masses of 0.8 M_⊙ and 3.3 M_⊙ for the primary and secondary stars respectively. De-archived Hubble Space Telescope ( HST ) spectroscopy of V Sge shows evidence of mass loss via a wind or winds. In addition we report radio observations of V Sge during an optical high state at 2 cm, 3.6 cm and 6 cm wavelengths. The 3.6 cm emission is increased by a factor of more than six compared with an earlier detection in a previous optical high state.     

The X-ray eclipse of OY Car resolved with XMM–Newton: X-ray emission from the polar regions of the white dwarf

We present the XMM–Newton X-ray eclipse light curve of the dwarf nova OY Car. The eclipse ingress and egress are well resolved for the first time in any dwarf nova placing strong constraints on the size and the location of the X-ray emitting region. We find good fits to a simple linear eclipse model, giving ingress/egress durations of  30 ± 3 s (Δφ_orb= 0.0054 ± 0.0005)  . Remarkably, this is shorter than the ingress/egress duration of the sharp eclipse in the optical, as measured by Wood et al. (1989) and ascribed to the white dwarf  (43 ± 2 s)  . We also find that the X-ray eclipse is narrower than the optical eclipse by  14 ± 2 s  , which is precisely the difference required to align the second and third contact points of the X-ray and optical eclipses. We discuss these results and conclude that X-ray emission in OY Car arises most likely from the polar regions of the white dwarf.
Our data were originally reported by Ramsay et al. (2001b) , but they did not make a quantitative measurement of eclipse parameters. We have also corrected important timing anomalies present in the data available at that time.     

Nova Sagittarii 1998 (V4633 Sgr): a permanent superhump system or an asynchronous polar?

We report the results of observations of V4633 Sgr (Nova Sagittarii 1998) during     . Two photometric periodicities were present in the light curve during the three years of observations: a stable one at     , which is probably the orbital period of the underlying binary system; and a second one of lower coherence, approximately 2.5 per cent longer than the former. The latter periodicity may be a permanent superhump, or, alternatively, the spin period of the white dwarf in a nearly synchronous magnetic system. A third period, at     , corresponding to the beat between the two periods was probably present in 1999. Our results suggest that a process of mass transfer has taken place in the binary system since no later than two-and-a-half months after the nova eruption. We derive an interstellar reddening of     from our spectroscopic measurements and published photometric data, and estimate a distance of     to this nova.     

V723 Cas (Nova Cassiopeiae 1995): MERLIN observations from 1996 to 2001

MERLIN observations of the unusually slow nova V723 Cas are presented. Nine epochs of 6-cm data between 1996 and 2001 are mapped, showing the initial expansion and brightening of the radio remnant, the development of structure and the final decline. A radio light curve is presented and fitted by the standard Hubble flow model for radio emission from novae in order to determine the values of various physical parameters for the shell. The model is consistent with the overall development of the radio emission. Assuming a distance of 2.39 (±0.38) kpc and a shell temperature of 17 000 K, the model yields values for expansion velocity of  414 ± 0.1 km s^-1  and shell mass of  1.13 ± 0.04 × 10⁻⁴ M_⊙  . These values are consistent with those derived from other observations although the ejected masses are rather higher than theoretical predictions. The structure of the shell is resolved by MERLIN and shows that the assumption of spherical symmetry in the standard model is unlikely to be correct.     

An analysis of the spectra and light curve of Nova Centauri 1995

The light curve and spectra of Nova Centauri 1995 (V888 Cen) are analysed. The spectra were obtained a few days post-maximum. The nova is found to be a very fast nova, declining by 2 mag within about 5±2 d of maximum. The light curve shows strong oscillations in the transition region, of peak-to-peak amplitude about 1.5 mag and period 12–15 d. The light curve of Nova Centauri resembles closely that of Nova Aquilae 1918 (V603 Aql).
The early blue and red spectra obtained at Mt John show broad emission lines, many with P Cygni profiles. The absorption lines are found in two velocity systems at about −1765 and −3010 km s⁻¹, in respectively the principal and diffuse-enhanced stages of spectral development, as defined by McLaughlin. Nova Centauri has many Fe  ii lines in emission, indicating that it is a member of the Williams Fe  ii class of classical novae.     

Episodic absorption in the outflow of the old nova V603 Aquilae

We report on the time-dependent behaviour of ultraviolet spectral lines in Hubble Space Telescope Goddard High-Resolution Spectrograph data of the classical nova V603 Aql. In particular, episodic blueshifted absorption (extending to ∼−2500 km s⁻¹) is present, with a variability time-scale down to ∼1 min. The data provide a rare opportunity to study the rapid evolution of absorption structures that may be associated with accretion-disc winds in cataclysmic variables. At least three absorption events are recorded (at blueward velocities only) over ∼5 h, each lasting ∼10–15 min. The derived velocity, acceleration and optical depth properties provide an empirical picture of stochastically variable structures in the outflow, with no evidence for short-term (less than ∼1 h) cyclic or modulated behaviour in the overall absorption properties. In contrast, the emission components of the ultraviolet resonance lines are very stable in velocity and strength in this low-inclination system. On at least two occasions there is an intriguing short-term 'flare' in the ultraviolet continuum flux (of up to ∼40 per cent). Though there is no clear one-to-one relation in these data between the continuum fluctuations and the occurrence of the absorption events, the time-scales for the two variable phenomena are essentially the same. The irregular absorption episodes in the ultraviolet data of V603 Aql presently defy a clear physical interpretation. Their overall characteristics are discussed in the context of instabilities in radiation-pressure-driven disc winds.     

BF Eridani: a cataclysmic variable with a massive white dwarf and an evolved secondary

We present high- and medium-resolution spectroscopic observations of the cataclysmic variable BF Eridani (BF Eri) during its low and bright states. The orbital period of this system was found to be 0.270881(3) d. The secondary star is clearly visible in the spectra through the absorption lines of the neutral metals Mg  i , Fe  i and Ca  i . Its spectral type was found to be K3±0.5. A radial velocity study of the secondary yielded a semi-amplitude of   K ₂= 182.5 ± 0.9 km s⁻¹  . The radial velocity semi-amplitude of the white dwarf was found to be   K ₁= 74 ± 3 km s⁻¹  from the motion of the wings of the Hα and Hβ emission lines. From these parameters, we have obtained that the secondary in BF Eri is an evolved star with a mass of  0.50–0.59 M_⊙  , whose size is about 30 per cent larger than a zero-age main-sequence single star of the same mass. We also show that BF Eri contains a massive white dwarf  ( M ₁≥ 1.2 M_⊙)  , which allows us to consider the system as a Type Ia supernova progenitor. BF Eri also shows a high γ-velocity  (γ=−94 km s⁻¹)  and substantial proper motion. With our estimation of the distance to the system  ( d ≈ 700 ± 200 pc)  , this corresponds to a space velocity of ∼350 km s⁻¹ with respect to the dynamical local standard of rest. The cumulative effect of repeated nova eruptions with asymmetric envelope ejection might explain the high space velocity of the system. We analyse the outburst behaviour of BF Eri and question the current classification of the system as a dwarf nova. We propose that BF Eri might be an old nova exhibiting 'stunted' outbursts.     

The massive Wolf–Rayet binary SMC WR7

We present a study of optical spectra of the Wolf–Rayet star AzV 336a (=SMC WR7) in the Small Magellanic Cloud. Our study is based on data obtained at several Observatories between 1988 and 2001. We find SMC WR7 to be a double-lined WN+O6 spectroscopic binary with an orbital period of 19.56 d. The radial velocities of the He absorption lines of the O6 component and the strong He  ii emission at λ 4686 Å of the WN component describe anti-phased orbital motions. However, they show a small phase shift of ∼1 d. We discuss possible explanations for this phase shift. The amplitude of the radial velocity variations of He  ii emission is twice that of the absorption lines. The binary components have fairly high minimum masses, ∼18 and 34 M_⊙ for the WN and O6 components, respectively.