Optical interferometry and adaptive optics of bright transients

TL;DR

This paper reviews the use of optical interferometry and adaptive optics, particularly with the VLTI, to study bright optical transients like novae and supernovae, focusing on their early phases and detailed geometries.

Contribution

It summarizes the current capabilities and findings of VLTI observations of bright transients, highlighting the exploration of early nova phases.

Findings

VLTI can observe bright transients with magnitude 5-7.

Early nova geometries remain largely unexplored.

Interferometry reveals details of dust formation and emission lines.

Abstract

Bright optical transients (i.e. transients typically visible with the naked eye) are populated mainly by novae eruptions plus a few supernovae (among which the SN1987a event). One bright nova happen every two years, either in the North ot in the South hemisphere. It occurs that current interferometers have matching sensitivities, with typically visible or infrared limiting magnitude in the range 5--7. The temporal development of the fireball, followed by a dust formation phase or the appearance of many coronal lines can be sudied with the Very Large Telescope Interferometer. The detailed geometry of the first phases of novae in outburst remains virtually unexplored. This paper summarizes the work which has been done to date using the VLTI.