Spectroscopic and Spectropolarimetric Observations of V838 Mon

Abstract

The spectroscopic and spectropolarimetric variability of the peculiar variable V838 Monocerotis during the brighter phases of its multiple outbursts in 2002 is presented. Significant line profile variability of H$\alpha$ and Si II 6347.10Å& 6371.36Åoccurred in spectra obtained between 2002 February 5 and 2002 March 14, and a unique secondary absorption component was observed near the end of this time period. Our observations also suggest that multiple shifts in ionization states occurred during the outbursts. Spectropolarimetric observations reveal that V838 Mon exhibited both intrinsic and interstellar polarization components during the initial stages of the second outburst, indicating the presence of an asymmetric geometry; however, the intrinsic component had significantly declined by February 14. We determine the interstellar polarization to be $P_{max}=2.746\pm 0.011$, ${\lambda }_{max}=5790\pm 37\mathring{A}$, $PA=153.43\pm 0.12^{\circ }$, and we find the integrated intrinsic V band polarization on February 5 to be $P=0.983\pm 0.012$ at a position angle of $127.0\pm 0.5^{\circ }$. The implications of these observations for the nature of V838 Monocerotis, its distance, and its ejecta are discussed.

arXiv comment20 pages (including 6 figs, 3 tables), accepted by ApJ

References in corpus (4)

• The mysterious eruption of V838 Mon
• A multi-epoch spectrophotometric atlas of symbiotic stars
• The peculiar variable V838 Mon
• Near infra-red spectroscopy of V838 Monocerotis

Cited by in corpus (28)

• The 2008 Luminous Optical Transient in the Nearby Galaxy NGC 300
• Identification of the Long-Sought Common-Envelope Events
• Variable Star Network: World Center for Transient Object Astronomy and Variable Stars
• Evolution of V838 Monocerotis during and after the 2002 eruption
• A model of an expanding giant that swallowed planets for the eruption of V838 Monocerotis
• On the progenitor of V838 Monocerotis
• On the distance, reddening and progenitor of V838 Mon
• VLT Spectropolarimetry of the optical transient in NGC300. Evidence for asymmetry in the circumstellar dust
• V838 Monocerotis: the central star and its environment a decade after outburst
• An Extended Grid of Nova Models. III. Very Luminous, Red Novae
• V838 Mon: light echo evolution and distance estimate
• Near-Infrared water lines in V838 Monocerotis
• Ultraviolet Spectropolarimetry: on the origin of rapidly rotating B stars
• Discovery of multiple shells around V838 Monocerotis
• High Spatial Resolution Mid-IR Imaging of V838 Monocerotis: Evidence of New Circumstellar Dust Creation
• Polarimetric evolution of V838 Mon
• Evolution of the Inner Circumstellar Envelope of V838 Monocerotis
• The continued optical to mid-IR evolution of V838 Monocerotis
• Infall and SiO emission in V838 Mon
• Extended CO emission in the field of the light echo of V838 Mon
• The mid-infrared environment of the stellar merger remnant V838 Monocerotis
• Low- and Medium-Dispersion Spectropolarimetry of Nova V475 Sct (Nova Scuti 2003): Discovery of an Asymmetric High-Velocity Wind in a Moderately Fast Nova
• The absorption spectrum of V838 Mon in 2002 February - March. I. Atmospheric parameters and iron abundance
• On the properties of dust and gas in the environs of V838 Monocerotis
• Reconstructing the mid-infrared environment in the stellar merger remnant V838 Monocerotis
• UV Spectropolarimetry with Polstar: Protoplanetary Disks
• The properties of V838 Mon in 2002 November
• V838 Monocerotis as seen by ALMA: a remnant of a binary merger in a triple system