paper

Dramatic Spectral Evolution of WZ Sagittae during the 2001 Superoutburst

arXiv:astro-ph/0401292 · doi:10.1093/pasj/56.sp1.S163

Abstract

We carried out optical spectroscopic observations of the most enigmatic dwarf nova WZ Sge in 11 nights during the 2001 superoutburst. Our observations covered the period from the initial phase, several hours before the maximum, to the ninth maximum of the rebrightening phase. The first spectrum shows absorption lines of H I (except for Halpha), He I, and Na I, as well as emission lines of He\II, C III/N III, and Halpha in doubly-peaked shapes. The same spectrum shows the emission lines of C IV and N IV which are the first detection in dwarf novae. The spectral features dramatically changed in various time scales. For example, the peak separations of the emission lines of H I and He II changed from ~700 km/s to 1300 km/s, and one of the peaks dominated over an orbital period in the genuine-superhump era, but the dominant peak interchanged with the orbital phase in the early-superhump era. The lines of H I and He I were in emission at minima of the rebrightening phase (with no high-excitation lines, nor Na I), while they became in absorption at maxima. We report on these observational results in detail and their implications concerning the outburst mechanism, two types of superhumps, and variation of the disk structure.

22 pages, 17 figures, to appear in the VSNET special issue of PASJ

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