Spectro-interferometric observations of classical nova V458 Vul 2007

TL;DR

This study used interferometry, spectroscopy, and photometry to analyze the early outburst of nova V458 Vul 2007, revealing its ejecta structure, velocity, distance, and ejected mass, and classifying it as a hybrid nova.

Contribution

First combined high-resolution interferometric, spectroscopic, and photometric data to analyze a classical nova's ejecta and derive physical parameters.

Findings

Ejecta modeled as an inclined low-ellipticity disk.

Expansion velocity approximately 1700 km/s.

Distance estimated between 9.9 and 11.4 kpc.

Abstract

We used the Palomar Testbed Interferometer (PTI) to resolve 2.2 $\mu$m emission from the classical nova V458 Vul 2007 over the course of several days following its discovery on 2007 August 8.54 UT. We also obtained K-band photometric data and spectra of the nova during the early days of the outburst. We also used photometric measurements from the AAVSO database. This is a unique data set offering a 3-technique approach: high-resolution imaging, spectroscopy and photometry. Our analysis shows that the nova ejecta can be modeled as an inclined disk at low inclination i.e. low ellipticity which is consistent with the nova being in the fireball phase at which the outflowing gas is optically thick, confirmed by the presence of strong P-Cygni Balmer lines in the spectra. The expansion velocity is $\approx$1700 $\rm km\ s^{-1}$, derived from the H$\alpha$ line. By combining the nova's angular expansion rate measured by PTI with the expansion rate measured from spectroscopy, the inferred distance to the nova is 9.9-11.4 kpc. We also used the K-band fluxes and the derived size of the emission to estimate the total mass ejected from the nova $\approx 4\times 10^{-4} M_{\odot}$. The quick transition of the nova from Fe II to He/N class makes V458 Vul 2007 a hybrid nova.