Time series of optical spectra of Nova V659 Sct

TL;DR

This study presents optical spectra of Nova V659 Sct during its outburst, analyzing spectral features, their evolution, and interstellar medium absorption lines to understand the nova's behavior and environment.

Contribution

First detailed spectral analysis of Nova V659 Sct during outburst using intermediate resolution spectra, identifying spectral lines and interstellar features.

Findings

Absorption features move to higher velocities before disappearing.

Emission features exhibit asymmetries during evolution.

Detected complex interstellar Na I and Ca II absorption features.

Abstract

With our robotic 1.2 m TIGRE telescope, we were able to obtain eight optical spectra with intermediate resolution (R = 20,000) of the Nova V659 Sct during different phases of its outburst. We present a list of the lines found in the Nova spectra. The most common features are H I, O I, Na I, Fe II and Ca II. Studying the spectral evolution of the strong features we found that the absorption features move to higher expansion velocities before disappearing and the emission features show (different) asymmetries. Thanks to the intermediate spectral resolution we identified and analysed the interstellar medium absorption features present in the spectra. We detected atomic absorption features of Na I and Ca II. The sodium D lines show more complex substructures with three main absorption features at around a velocity of -10, 30 and 85 km/s. We identified several DIBs in the Nova V659 Sct spectra and determined their velocities and equivalent widths.