The SSS phase of RS Ophiuchi observed with Chandra and XMM-Newton I.: Data and preliminary Modeling

Abstract

The phase of Super-Soft-Source (SSS) emission of the sixth recorded outburst of the recurrent nova RS Oph was observed twice with Chandra and once with XMM-Newton. The observations were taken on days 39.7, 54.0, and 66.9 after outburst. We confirm a 35-sec period on day 54.0 and found that it originates from the SSS emission and not from the shock. We discus the bound-free absorption by neutral elements in the line of sight, resonance absorption lines plus self-absorbed emission line components, collisionally excited emission lines from the shock, He-like intersystem lines, and spectral changes during an episode of high-amplitude variability. We find a decrease of the oxygen K-shell absorption edge that can be explained by photoionization of oxygen. The absorption component has average velocities of -1286+-267 km/s on day 39.7 and of -771+-65 km/s on day 66.9. The wavelengths of the emission line components are consistent with their rest wavelengths as confirmed by measurements of non-self absorbed He-like intersystem lines. We have evidence that these lines originate from the shock rather than the outer layers of the outflow and may be photoexcited in addition to collisional excitations. We found collisionally excited emission lines that are fading at wavelengths shorter than 15A that originate from the radiatively cooling shock. On day 39.5 we find a systematic blue shift of -526+-114 km/s from these lines. We found anomalous He-like f/i ratios which indicates either high densities or significant UV radiation near the plasma where the emission lines are formed. During the phase of strong variability the spectral hardness light curve overlies the total light curve when shifted by 1000sec. This can be explained by photoionization of neutral oxygen in the line of sight if the densities of order 10^{10}-10^{11} cm^{-3}.

arXiv comment16 pages, 10 figures, 4 tables. Accepted by ApJ; v2: Co-author Woodward added

References in corpus (17)

• Collisional Plasma Models with APEC/APED: Emission Line Diagnostics of Hydrogen-like and Helium-like Ions
• An Overview of the Performance and Scientific Results from the Chandra X-Ray Observatory (CXO)
• X-Ray Emitting Blast Wave from the Recurrent Nova RS Ophiuchi
• An asymmetric shock wave in the 2006 outburst of the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi
• Swift observations of the 2006 outburst of the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi: I. Early X-ray emission from the shocked ejecta and red giant wind
• High-Resolution X-ray Spectroscopy of the Interstellar Medium: Structure at the Oxygen Absorption Edge
• On the sizes of stellar X-ray coronae
• Chandra Discovers a Very High Density X-ray Plasma on the O-Star Zeta Orionis
• Interstellar X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy of Oxygen, Neon, and Iron with the Chandra LETGS Spectrum of X0614+091
• The Extraordinary X-ray Light Curve of the Classical Nova V1494 Aquilae (1999 #2) in Outburst: The Discovery of Pulsations and a "Burst"
• VLTI/AMBER interferometric observations of the recurrent Nova RS Oph 5.5 days after outburst
• XMM-Newton RGS spectroscopy of LMC X-3
• An X-ray emission line spectrum of Nova V382 Velorum 1999
• Modeling CHANDRA Low Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer Observations of Classical Novae with PHOENIX. I. V4743 Sagittarii
• Spitzer and ground-based infrared observations of the 2006 eruption of RS Ophiuchi
• X-ray He-like ions diagnostics: New Computations for Photoionized Plasmas: I. preliminary considerations
• X-ray He-like ion diagnostics: New computations for photoionized plasma. II: Influence of different parameters

Cited by in corpus (53)

• The Super-Soft X-ray Phase of Nova RS Ophiuchi 2006
• The Effects of the pep Nuclear Reaction and Other Improvements in the Nuclear Reaction Rate Library on Simulations of the Classical Nova Outburst
• M31N 2008-12a - the remarkable recurrent nova in M31: Pan-chromatic observations of the 2015 eruption
• Proton acceleration in thermonuclear nova explosions revealed by gamma rays
• XMM-Newton X-ray and UV observations of the fast nova V2491 Cyg during the supersoft source phase
• Swift observations of the X-ray and UV evolution of V2491 Cyg (Nova Cyg 2008 No. 2)
• Obscuration effects in Super-Soft-Source X-ray spectra
• High-resolution X-ray spectroscopy of the evolving shock in the 2006 outburst of RS Ophiuchi
• X-ray monitoring of classical novae in the central region of M 31. I. June 2006 - March 2007
• The Outbursts of Classical and Recurrent Novae
• From X-ray dips to eclipse: Witnessing disk reformation in the recurrent nova USco
• The 2021 outburst of the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi observed in X-rays by the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory: a comparative study
• The first two transient supersoft X-ray sources in M 31 globular clusters and the connection to classical novae
• Near-Infrared H and K band studies of the 2006 outburst of the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi
• Short-period X-ray oscillations in super-soft novae and persistent SSS
• Elemental Abundances in the Ejecta of Old Classical Novae from Late-Epoch Spitzer Spectra
• Silicate dust in the environment of RS Ophiuchi following the 2006 eruption
• K-Shell Photoabsorption Studies of the Carbon Isonuclear Sequence
• The first nova eruption in a novalike variable: YZ Ret as seen in X-rays and gamma-rays
• Accretion Flows in Nonmagnetic White Dwarf Binaries as Observed in X-rays
• The recurrent nova RS Oph: A possible scenario for type Ia supernovae
• Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory studies of supersoft novae
• Metallicity and effective temperature of the secondary of RS Oph
• Chandra detection of extended X-ray emission from the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi
• Nova M31N 2007-12b: Supersoft X-rays reveal an intermediate polar?
• Optical observations of "hot" novae returning to quiescence
• The Super-Soft Source Phase of the recurrent nova V3890 Sgr
• Expanding atmosphere models for SSS spectra of novae
• Evolution of X-ray spectra and light curves of V1494 Aquilae
• What we learn from the X-ray grating spectra of Nova SMC 2016
• Shocks in the outflow of the RS Oph 2021 eruption observed with X-ray gratings
• High Resolution X-ray Spectra of RS Ophiuchi (2006 and 2021): Revealing the cause of SSS variability
• Nova KT Eri 2009: Infrared studies of a very fast and small amplitude He/N nova
• Carbon X-ray absorption in the local ISM: fingerprints in X-ray Novae spectra
• Pan-chromatic observations of the remarkable nova LMC 2012
• 500 days of Stromgren b, y and narrow-band [OIII], Ha photometric evolution of gamma-ray Nova Del 2013 (= V339 Del)
• A pre-outburst signal in the long term optical lightcurve of the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi
• Multifrequency nature of the 0.75 mHz feature in the X-ray light curves of the nova V4743 Sgr
• Observational Evidence for Expansion in the SSS spectra of Novae
• X-ray observations of classical novae. Theoretical implications
• The Accretion of Solar Material onto White Dwarfs: No Mixing with Core Material Implies that the Mass of the White Dwarf is Increasing
• An R-matrix with pseudo-state (RMPS) approach to the single photon double ionization and excitation of the He-like Li${}^{+}$ ion
• The complications of learning from Super Soft Source X-ray spectra
• Multiwavelength modelling the SED of supersoft X-ray sources III. RS Ophiuchi: The supersoft X-ray phase and beyond
• Broad Observational Perspectives Achieved by the Accreting White Dwarf Sciences in the XMM-Newton and Chandra Eras
• A Reanalysis of High Resolution XMM-Newton Data of V2491 Cyg Using Collisionally Ionized Hot Absorber Models
• X-ray Development of the Classical Nova V2672 Ophiuchi with Suzaku
• A light curve model of V2491 Cyg: Classical nova outburst on a cool and massive white dwarf
• Recent discoveries of supersoft X-ray sources in M 31
• The significant contribution of supersoft X-ray Sources to the nebular HeII line emission
• M31N 2008-05d: A M 31 disk nova with a dipping supersoft X-ray light curve
• Is the Peculiar Galactic Center Transient Swift J174610.4-290018 A Nova Outburst?
• 7Be in the outburst of the ONe nova V6595 Sgr