Photometric Investigation of Novae T Pyx, BT Mon and V574 Pup at Quiescence by using the 2.4 m Thai National Telescope

TL;DR

This study used the 2.4 m Thai National Telescope to observe three recurrent novae at quiescence, providing insights into their secondary stars and contributing to understanding their potential as Type Ia supernova progenitors.

Contribution

First-time quiescent magnitude measurements of T Pyx, BT Mon, and V574 Pup using the Thai National Telescope, aiding in classification and progenitor system analysis.

Findings

All three novae likely have main-sequence secondary stars.

T Pyx's secondary confirmed as main-sequence; others need confirmation.

Color-magnitude positions support secondary star classifications.

Abstract

Recurrent novae (RNe) are novae with multiple recorded outbursts powered by a thermonuclear runaway. The outburst occurs on the surface of the white dwarf which accompanies with a late type main-sequence or giant secondary star transferring material onto the white dwarf primary star. They resemble classical novae (CNe) outbursts but only RNe has more than one recorded outbursts. RNe play an important role as one of the suspected progenitor systems of Type Ia supernovae (SNe) which are used as primary distance indicators in cosmology. Thus, it is important to investigate the outburst type of CNe and RNe and finally ascertain the population of objects that might ultimately be candidates for Type Ia SNe explosions. The proposal that RNe occupy a region separated from CNe in an outburst amplitude versus speed class diagram was adopted. Since the low amplitude results from the existence of an evolved secondary and/or high mass transfer rate in the quiescent system, RNe candidates should accordingly have low amplitude. We selected 3 preliminary targets including T Pyx, BT Mon and V574 Pup. Their amplitudes are not that low but the lowest amplitude that can be observed with Thai National Telescope (TNT). We obtained their magnitudes at quiescence using ULTRASPEC camera on the 2.4-m TNT. The positions of three targets on optical and near-infrared color-magnitude diagrams suggest that all three should have mainsequence secondary stars. This is true for T Pyx, whose secondary star has been confirmed its spectroscopy to be a main-sequence star, but not yet confirmed for BT Mon and V574 Pup.