500 days of Stromgren b, y and narrow-band [OIII], Ha photometric evolution of gamma-ray Nova Del 2013 (= V339 Del)

TL;DR

This study provides a detailed 500-day photometric analysis of Nova Del 2013 using specialized narrow-band filters, revealing insights into ejecta ionization, transition phases, and the impact of X-ray variability on optical emissions.

Contribution

It is the most comprehensive photometric study of a nova in Stromgren and narrow-band systems, offering new data on ejecta behavior and filter performance under various conditions.

Findings

Ejecta showed smooth lightcurves with no large discontinuities.

No optical glitches correlated with X-ray variability, suggesting clumpy ejecta.

Filter transmission profiles were accurately measured at different epochs.

Abstract

We present and discuss highly accurate photometry obtained through medium Stromgren y,b bands and narrow [OIII], Halpha bands covering 500 days of the evolution of Nova Del 2013 since its maximum brightness. This is by far the most complete study of any nova observed in such photometric systems. The nova behaviour in these photometric bands is very different from that observed with the more conventional broad bands like UBVRI or ugriz, providing unique information about extent and ionization of the ejecta, the onset of critical phases like the transition between optically thick and thin conditions, and re-ionization by the central super-soft X-ray source. The actual transmission profiles of the y, b, [OIII] and Halpha photometric filters have been accurately measured at different epochs and different illumination angles, to evaluate in detail their performance under exact operating conditions. The extreme smoothness of both the Halpha and [OIII] lightcurves argues for absence of large and abrupt discontinuities in the ejecta of Nova Del 2013. Should they exist, glitches in the lightcurves would have appeared when the ionization and/or recombination fronts overtook them. During the period of recorded very large variability (up to 100x over a single day) in the super-soft X-ray emission (from day +69 to +86 past V maximum), no glitch in excess of 1% was observed in the optical photometry, either in the continuum (Stromgren y) or in the lines ([OIII] and Halpha filters), or in a combination of the two (Stromgren b, Johnson B and V). Considering that the recombination time scale in the ejecta was one week at that time, this excludes global changes of the white dwarf as the source of the X-ray variability and supports instead clumpy ejecta passing through the line of sight to us as its origin.