Beryllium detection in the very fast nova ASASSN-16kt (V407 Lupi)

TL;DR

This study reports the detection of beryllium-7 in the fast nova ASASSN-16kt, indicating novae significantly contribute to galactic lithium production, with implications for understanding stellar nucleosynthesis.

Contribution

First detection of $^7$Be in a fast nova, linking nova characteristics to lithium production and suggesting a massive oxygen-neon white dwarf progenitor.

Findings

Detected $^7$Be in the nova spectrum.

Estimated $^7$Be mass produced: (5.9 - 7.7)×10^{-9} M$_{igodot}$.

Implication that novae are key factories of galactic lithium.

Abstract

We present high-resolution spectroscopic observations of the fast nova ASASSN-16kt (V407 Lup). A close inspection of spectra obtained at early stages has revealed the presence of low-ionization lines, and among the others we have identified the presence of the ionised $^7$Be doublet in a region relatively free from possible contaminants. After studying their intensities, we have inferred that ASASSN-16kt has produced (5.9 - 7.7)$ \times 10^{-9}$ M$_{\odot}$ of $^7$Be. The identification of bright Ne lines may suggest that the nova progenitor is a massive (1.2 M$_{\odot}$) oxygen-neon white dwarf. The high outburst frequency of oxygen-neon novae implies that they likely produce an amount of Be similar, if not larger, to that produced by carbon-oxygen novae, then confirming that classical novae are among the main factories of lithium in the Galaxy.