A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Unraveling the Infrared Transient VVV-WIT-06: The Case for the Origin as a Classical Nova
Authors: D.P.K. Banerjee, E.Y. Hsiao, T. Diamond, L. Galbany, N. Morrell N, D. Minniti, H. Kuncarayakti, S. Mattila, J. Harmanen
Publisher: IOP PUBLISHING LTD
Publication year: 2018
Journal: Astrophysical Journal
Journal name in source: ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL
Journal acronym: ASTROPHYS J
Article number: ARTN 99
Volume: 867
Issue: 2
Number of pages: 6
ISSN: 0004-637X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aae5d3
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://arxiv.org/abs/1809.06801
Abstract
The enigmatic near-infrared transient VVV-WIT-06 underwent a large-amplitude eruption of unclear origin in 2013 July. Based on its light curve properties and late-time post-outburst spectra, various possibilities have been proposed in the literature for the origin of the object, namely a Type I supernova, a classical nova (CN), or a violent stellar merger event. We show that, of these possibilities, an origin in a CN outburst convincingly explains the observed properties of VVV-WIT-06. We estimate that the absolute K-band magnitude of the nova at maximum was M-k = -8.2 +/- 0.5, its distance d = 13.35 +/- 2.18 kpc, and the extinction A(v) = 15.0 +/- 0.55 mag.
The enigmatic near-infrared transient VVV-WIT-06 underwent a large-amplitude eruption of unclear origin in 2013 July. Based on its light curve properties and late-time post-outburst spectra, various possibilities have been proposed in the literature for the origin of the object, namely a Type I supernova, a classical nova (CN), or a violent stellar merger event. We show that, of these possibilities, an origin in a CN outburst convincingly explains the observed properties of VVV-WIT-06. We estimate that the absolute K-band magnitude of the nova at maximum was M-k = -8.2 +/- 0.5, its distance d = 13.35 +/- 2.18 kpc, and the extinction A(v) = 15.0 +/- 0.55 mag.
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