Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- 2001.05536v1
Accepted author manuscript, 2.9 MB, PDF document
- staa155
Final published version, 2.76 MB, PDF document
- D. Minniti
- A. Kamble
- D. L. Kaplan
- N. Cross
- I. Dekany
- V. D. Ivanov
- R. Kurtev
- R. K. Saito
- L. C. Smith
- M. Catelan
- N. Masetti
- I. Toledo
- M. Hempel
- M. A. Thompson
- C. Contreras Peña
- J. Dale
- J. Borissova
- J.P. Emerson
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Abstract
A search of the first Data Release of the VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) Survey discovered the exceptionally red transient VVV-WIT-01 (H-Ks=5.2). It peaked before March 2010, then faded by ~9.5 mag over the following two years. The 1.6-22 µm spectral energy distribution in March 2010 was well fit by a highly obscured black body with T ~ 1000 K and AKs ~ 6.6 mag. The source is projected against the Infrared Dark Cloud (IRDC) SDC G331.062-0.294. The chance projection probability is small for any single event (p ≈ 0.01 to 0.02) which suggests a physical association, e.g. a collision between low mass protostars. However, black body emission at T ~ 1000 K is common in classical novae (especially CO novae) at the infrared peak in the light curve, due to condensation of dust ~30-60 days after the explosion. Radio follow up with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) detected a fading continuum source with properties consistent with a classical nova but probably inconsistent with colliding protostars. Considering all VVV transients that could have been projected against a catalogued IRDC raises the probability of a chance association to p=0.13 to 0.24. After weighing several options, it appears likely that VVV-WIT-01 was a classical nova event located behind an IRDC.
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ID: 19084126