M31N 2008-12a - the remarkable recurrent nova in M31: Pan-chromatic observations of the 2015 eruption

Abstract

The Andromeda Galaxy recurrent nova M31N 2008-12a had been observed in eruption ten times, including yearly eruptions from 2008-2014. With a measured recurrence period of $P_{\mathrm{rec}}=351\pm 13$ days (we believe the true value to be half of this) and a white dwarf very close to the Chandrasekhar limit, M31N 2008-12a has become the leading pre-explosion supernova type Ia progenitor candidate. Following multi-wavelength follow-up observations of the 2013 and 2014 eruptions, we initiated a campaign to ensure early detection of the predicted 2015 eruption, which triggered ambitious ground and space-based follow-up programs. In this paper we present the 2015 detection; visible to near-infrared photometry and visible spectroscopy; and ultraviolet and X-ray observations from the Swift observatory. The LCOGT 2m (Hawaii) discovered the 2015 eruption, estimated to have commenced at Aug. $28.28\pm 0.12$ UT. The 2013-2015 eruptions are remarkably similar at all wavelengths. New early spectroscopic observations reveal short-lived emission from material with velocities $\sim 13000$ km s${}^{-1}$, possibly collimated outflows. Photometric and spectroscopic observations of the eruption provide strong evidence supporting a red giant donor. An apparently stochastic variability during the early super-soft X-ray phase was comparable in amplitude and duration to past eruptions, but the 2013 and 2015 eruptions show evidence of a brief flux dip during this phase. The multi-eruption Swift/XRT spectra show tentative evidence of high-ionization emission lines above a high-temperature continuum. Following Henze et al. (2015a), the updated recurrence period based on all known eruptions is $P_{\mathrm{rec}}=174\pm 10$ d, and we expect the next eruption of M31N 2008-12a to occur around mid-Sep. 2016.

arXiv comment46 pages, 19 figures, 14 tables, accepted for publication in ApJ (accepted version, minor changes made during the refereeing process)

References in corpus (110)

• On the Absorption of X-rays in the Interstellar Medium
• The Swift X-ray Telescope
• The Swift Ultra-Violet/Optical Telescope
• Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network
• Type Ia Supernova Explosion Models
• The Fourth US Naval Observatory CCD Astrograph Catalog (UCAC4)
• Photometric Calibration of the Swift Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope
• Observational clues to the progenitors of Type-Ia supernovae
• The Relation Between Optical Extinction and Hydrogen Column Density in the Galaxy
• The SDSS View of the Palomar-Green Bright Quasar Survey
• An Extended Grid of Nova Models: II. The Parameter Space of Nova Outbursts
• A Survey of Local Group Galaxies Currently Forming Stars. I. UBVRI Photometry of Stars in M31 and M33
• A Wide Symbiotic Channel to Type Ia Supernovae
• The SCORPIO focal reducer
• Progenitors of type Ia supernovae
• PTF11kx: A Type-Ia Supernova with a Symbiotic Nova Progenitor
• Comprehensive Photometric Histories of All Known Galactic Recurrent Novae
• A New Evolutionary Path to Type Ia Supernovae: Helium-Rich Super-Soft X-Ray Source Channel
• Catalog of 93 Nova Light Curves: Classification and Properties
• Hydrogen Burning on Accreting White Dwarfs: Stability, Recurrent Novae, and the Post-Novae Supersoft Source
• An asymmetric shock wave in the 2006 outburst of the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi
• The spin periods and magnetic moments of white dwarfs in magnetic cataclysmic variables
• A Universal Decline Law of Classical Novae
• Swift X-Ray Observations of Classical Novae. II. The Super Soft Source sample
• The Thermonuclear Runaway and the Classical Nova Outburst
• 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
• The Super-Soft X-ray Phase of Nova RS Ophiuchi 2006
• Binary orbits as the driver of gamma-ray emission and mass ejection in classical novae
• The Stony Brook / SMARTS Atlas of mostly Southern Novae
• Classical novae from the POINT-AGAPE microlensing survey of M31 -- II. Rate and statistical characteristics of the nova population
• Growing White Dwarfs to the Chandrasekhar Limit: The Parameter Space of the Single Degenerate SNIa Channel
• The Evolution of Nova V382 Vel 1999
• X-ray monitoring of optical novae in M31 from July 2004 to February 2005
• Optical novae: the major class of supersoft X-ray sources in M 31
• An Expanding Shell and Synchrotron Jet in RS Ophiuchi
• On the Progenitors of Galactic Novae
• Searching for swept-up Hydrogen and Helium in the late-time spectra of 11 nearby Type Ia supernovae
• Exquisite Nova Light Curves from the Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI)
• Evidence for nonlinear diffusive shock acceleration of cosmic-rays in the 2006 outburst of the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi
• Shortest Recurrence Periods of Novae
• X-ray monitoring of classical novae in the central region of M31. III. Autumn and winter 2009/10, 2010/11 and 2011/12
• NLTE model atmospheres for the hottest white dwarfs: Spectral analysis of the compact component in nova V4743 Sgr
• The SSS phase of RS Ophiuchi observed with Chandra and XMM-Newton I.: Data and preliminary Modeling
• A Prediction Formula of Supersoft X-ray Phase of Classical Novae
• A remarkable recurrent nova in M31 - The optical observations
• A Spectroscopic and Photometric Survey of Novae in M31
• A Synoptic X-ray Study of M31 with the Chandra-HRC
• Identifying and Quantifying Recurrent Novae Masquerading as Classical Novae
• Origin of the `He/N' and `Fe II' Spectral Classes of Novae
• An Accreting White Dwarf near the Chandrasekhar Limit in the Andromeda Galaxy
• Swift observations of the X-ray and UV evolution of V2491 Cyg (Nova Cyg 2008 No. 2)
• X-ray monitoring of classical novae in the central region of M 31. II. Autumn and winter 2007/2008 and 2008/2009
• Classical novae from the POINT-AGAPE microlensing survey of M31 -- I. The nova catalogue
• Obscuration effects in Super-Soft-Source X-ray spectra
• The Expanding Nebular Remnant of the Recurrent Nova RS Ophiuchi (2006): II. Modeling of Combined Hubble Space Telescope Imaging and Ground-based Spectroscopy
• Swift detection of the super-swift switch-on of the super-soft phase in nova V745 Sco (2014)
• Three-dimensional modeling of the asymmetric blast wave from the 2006 outburst of RS Ophiuchi: Early X-ray emission
• Properties, evolution and morpho-kinematical modelling of the very fast nova V2672 Oph (Nova Oph 2009), a clone of U Sco
• X-ray monitoring of classical novae in the central region of M 31. I. June 2006 - March 2007
• A remarkable recurrent nova in M31 - The X-ray observations
• Observational Signatures of SNIa Progenitors, as Predicted by Models
• A Universal Decline Law of Classical Novae. II. GK Persei 1901 and Novae in 2005
• The Outbursts of Classical and Recurrent Novae
• Resumption of mass accretion in RS Oph
• A remarkable recurrent nova in M31: Discovery and optical/UV observations of the predicted 2014 eruption
• The UBV Color Evolution of Classical Novae. I. Nova-Giant Sequence in the Color-Color Diagram
• From X-ray dips to eclipse: Witnessing disk reformation in the recurrent nova USco
• M31N 2007-11d: A Slowly-Rising, Luminous Nova in M31
• Line Searches in Swift X-ray Spectra
• The Optical Spectroscopic Evolution of V1974 Cygni (Nova Cygni 1992)
• A remarkable recurrent nova in M 31: The predicted 2014 outburst in X-rays with Swift
• The Morphology of the Expanding Ejecta of V2491 Cygni (2008 N.2)
• Recurrent Novae in M31
• Multi-wavelength Light Curve Model of the One-year Recurrence Period Nova M31N 2008-12a
• Near-IR studies of recurrent nova V745 Scorpii during its 2014 outburst
• Morpho-Kinematical Modelling of Nova Eridani 2009 (KT Eri)
• A NuSTAR observation of the fast symbiotic nova V745 Sco in outburst
• Eclipses During the 2010 Eruption of the Recurrent Nova U Scorpii
• Discovery of the 2010 Eruption and the Pre-Eruption Light Curve for Recurrent Nova U Scorpii
• Short-period X-ray oscillations in super-soft novae and persistent SSS
• Optical and X-ray Observations of M31N 2007-12b: An Extragalactic Recurrent Nova with a Detected Progenitor?
• A Hubble Space Telescope Survey for Novae in M87. I. Light and Color Curves, Spatial Distributions and the Nova Rate
• The UBV Color Evolution of Classical Novae. II. Color-Magnitude Diagram
• Collimation and asymmetry of the hot blast wave from the recurrent nova V745 Scorpii
• Modelling nova populations in galaxies
• X-ray emission from optical novae in M 31
• A Spitzer Survey of Novae in M31
• Getting to know Classical Novae with Swift
• OGLE Atlas of Classical Novae. II. Magellanic Clouds
• A remarkable recurrent nova in M 31: The 2010 eruption recovered and evidence of a six-month period
• X-Ray Flashes in Recurrent Novae: M31N 2008-12a and the Implications of the Swift Non-detection
• The recurrent nova RS Oph: A possible scenario for type Ia supernovae
• On the Progenitor System of Nova V2491 Cygni
• A Public Set of Synthetic Spectra from Expanding Atmospheres for X-Ray Novae. I. Solar Abundances
• Pan-Chromatic observations of the Recurrent Nova LMC 2009a (LMC 1971b)
• Population of post-nova supersoft X-ray sources
• Exploring the Role of Globular Cluster Specific Frequency on the Nova Rates in Three Virgo Elliptical Galaxies
• Infrared observations of the 2006 outburst of the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi: the early phase
• On the Progenitors of Local Group Novae. II. The Red Giant Nova Rate of M31
• Nova light curves from the Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI) - II. The extended catalog
• Nova M31N 2007-12b: Supersoft X-rays reveal an intermediate polar?
• The 2010 Eruption of the Recurrent Nova U Scorpii: The Multi-Wavelength Light Curve
• A systematic search for novae in M31 on a large set of digitized archival Schmidt plates
• On the progenitors of Local Group Novae - I. The M31 Catalog
• The Angstrom Project Alert System: real-time detection of extragalactic microlensing
• Expanding atmosphere models for SSS spectra of novae
• Shortest Recurrence Periods of Forced Novae
• Observational Evidence for Expansion in the SSS spectra of Novae
• Difference image photometry with bright variable backgrounds
• On the Raman O VI and related lines in classical novae

Cited by in corpus (44)

• New Insights into Classical Novae
• Mass-accreting white dwarfs and type Ia supernovae
• Carbon-Oxygen Classical Novae are Galactic ${}^7$Li Producers as well as Potential Supernova Ia Progenitors
• The Masses and Accretion Rates of White Dwarfs in Classical and Recurrent Novae
• A Recurrent Nova Super-Remnant in the Andromeda Galaxy
• A New Catalogue of Galactic Novae: Investigation of the MMRD relation & Spatial Distribution
• A Light Curve Analysis of 32 Recent Galactic Novae --- Distances and White Dwarf Masses
• The 2021 outburst of the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi observed in X-rays by the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory: a comparative study
• On a century of extragalactic novae and the rise of the rapid recurrent novae
• Breaking the habit - the peculiar 2016 eruption of the unique recurrent nova M31N 2008-12a
• A Light Curve Analysis of Recurrent and Very Fast Novae in our Galaxy, Magellanic Clouds, and M31
• Multiwavelength observations of V407 Lupi (ASASSN-16kt) --- a very fast nova erupting in an intermediate polar
• Inflows, Outflows, and a Giant Donor in the Remarkable Recurrent Nova M31N 2008-12a? - Hubble Space Telescope Photometry of the 2015 Eruption
• A Hubble Space Telescope Survey for Novae in M87. II. Snuffing out the Maximum Magnitude - Rate of Decline Relation for Novae as a Non-Standard Candle, and a Prediction of the Existence of Ultrafast Novae
• The multi-wavelength view of shocks in the fastest nova V1674 Her
• Multiwavelength observations of nova SMCN 2016-10a --- one of the brightest novae ever observed
• A Self-Consistent Model for a Full Cycle of Recurrent Novae -- Wind Mass Loss Rate and X-Ray Luminosity
• Classical Novae Masquerading as Dwarf Novae? Outburst Properties of Cataclysmic Variables with ASAS-SN
• No Neon, but Jets in the Remarkable Recurrent Nova M31N 2008-12a? - Hubble Space Telescope Spectroscopy of the 2015 Eruption
• The January 2016 eruption of recurrent nova LMC 1968
• High Resolution X-ray Spectra of RS Ophiuchi (2006 and 2021): Revealing the cause of SSS variability
• Introducing the Condor Array Telescope: IV. A possible nova super-remnant surrounding the putative recurrent nova KT Eridani
• The Influence of Stellar Spin on Ignition of Thermonuclear Runaways
• On the Observability of Recurrent Nova Super-Remnants
• Extended X-ray emission from the classic nova DQ Her -- On the possible presence of a magnetized jet
• A Millennium-Long Evolution of One-Year-Recurrence-Period Nova -- Search for Any Indication of the Forthcoming He Flash
• Nova Neutrinos in the Multi-Messenger Era
• Supersoft X-Ray Phases of Recurrent Novae as an Indicator of their White Dwarf Masses
• Multi-wavelength observations of multiple eruptions of the recurrent nova M31N 2008-12a
• Hydrodynamic simulations of the recurrent nova T Coronae Borealis: Nucleosynthesis predictions
• Multi-wavelength Observations of the 2015 Nova in the Local Group Irregular Dwarf Galaxy IC 1613
• A Hubble Space Telescope survey for novae in M87. III. Are novae good standard candles 15 days after maximum brightness?
• Interaction between the ejecta, the accretion disk, and the secondary star in the recurrent nova system U Sco
• CXO J004318.8+412016, a steady supersoft X-ray source in M 31
• Experimental study of an advanced concept of moderate-resolution holographic spectrographs
• Cosmic Ray bubbles from nova super remnants and their contribution to local cosmic ray spectra
• AT 2017fvz: a nova in the dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 6822
• Connecting the m-dots: accretion rates and thermonuclear burst recurrence times on neutron stars and white dwarfs
• AT 2016dah and AT 2017fyp: the first classical novae discovered within a tidal stream
• Two Peculiar Fast Transients in a Strongly Lensed Host Galaxy
• Survival of the accretion disk in LMC Recurrent Nova 1968-12a: UV--X-ray case study of the 2024 eruption
• AT 2019qyl in NGC 300: Internal Collisions in the Early Outflow from a Very Fast Nova in a Symbiotic Binary
• Triggering micronovae through magnetically confined accretion flows in accreting white dwarfs
• Discovery of a probable very fast extragalactic nova in a symbiotic binary