The mid-infrared environment of the stellar merger remnant V838 Monocerotis

TL;DR

This study uses mid-infrared interferometry to reveal a stable, elongated, disk-like dust structure around V838 Mon, consistent across multiple wavelengths and over a decade, shedding light on post-merger dust environments.

Contribution

First detailed interferometric imaging of V838 Mon's dusty environment in the mid-infrared, confirming a stable, elongated disk-like structure aligned with previous observations.

Findings

Detected an elongated, disk-like structure near 3.5μm.

Orientation of the structure at -40 degrees matches previous measurements.

The dusty structure has persisted for over a decade.

Abstract

In 2002, V838 Monocerotis (V838 Mon) erupted in a red novae event which has been interpreted to be a stellar merger. Soon after reaching peak luminosity, it began to cool, and its spectrum evolved to later spectral types. Dust was also formed in the post-merger remnant, making it bright in the mid-infrared. Interferometric studies at these wavelengths have suggested the presence of a flattened, elongated structure. We investigate, for the first time, the structure and orientation of the dusty envelope surrounding V838 Mon in the $L$(2.8-4.2 $\mu$m) band using recent observations with the MATISSE instrument at the VLTI. We perform simple geometrical modelling of the interferometric observables using basic models (disks, Gaussians, point sources, along with their combinations). We also reconstructed an image and analyzed the corresponding $L$-band spectrum. This study indicates the presence of an elongated, disk-like structure near 3.5$\mu$m, similar to what has been observed in other wavelength regimes. In particular, the orientation at a position angle of -40 degrees agrees with prior measurements in other bands. The dusty elongated structure surrounding V838 Mon appears to be a stable and long lived feature that has been present in the system for over a decade. Its substructure and origin remain unclear, but may be related to mass loss phenomena that took place in the orbital plane of the merged binary.