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

TL;DR

This study presents multi-epoch MERLIN radio observations of the slow nova V723 Cas, analyzing its expansion, structure, and physical parameters, revealing deviations from spherical symmetry and providing insights into nova shell dynamics.

Contribution

It provides detailed radio imaging and modeling of V723 Cas over several years, offering new measurements of shell velocity, mass, and structure that challenge standard spherical assumptions.

Findings

Measured shell expansion velocity of 414 km/s

Derived shell mass of 1.13 x 10^-4 solar masses

Resolved shell structure indicating asymmetry

Abstract

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 17000 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 Msolar. 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.