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AT 2016dah and AT 2017fyp: the first classical novae discovered within a tidal stream

Darnley, MJ, Newsam, AM, Chinetti, K, Hawkins, IDW, Jannetta, AL, Kasliwal, MM, McGarry, JC, Shara, MM, Sitaram, M and Williams, SC (2020) AT 2016dah and AT 2017fyp: the first classical novae discovered within a tidal stream. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 495 (1). pp. 1073-1092. ISSN 0035-8711

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Abstract

AT2016dah and AT2017fyp are fairly typical Andromeda Galaxy (M31) classical novae. AT2016dah is an almost text book example of a 'very fast' declining, yet uncommon, Fe II'b' (broad-lined) nova, discovered during the rise to peak optical luminosity, and decaying with a smooth broken power-law light curve. AT2017fyp is classed as a 'fast' nova, unusually for M31, its early decline spectrum simultaneously shows properties of both Fe II and He/N spectral types - a 'hybrid'. Similarly, the light curve of AT2017fyp has a broken power-law decline but exhibits an extended flat-topped maximum. Both novae were followed in the UV and X-ray by the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, but no X-ray source was detected for either nova. The pair were followed photometrically and spectroscopically into their nebular phases. The progenitor systems were not visible in archival optical data, implying that the mass donors are main sequence stars. What makes AT2016dah and AT2017fyp particularly interesting is their position with respect to M31. The pair are close on the sky but are located far from the centre of M31, lying almost along the semi-minor axis of their host. Radial velocity measurements and simulations of the M31 nova population leads to the conclusion that both novae are members of the Andromeda Giant Stellar Stream (GSS). We find the probability of at least two M31 novae appearing coincident with the GSS by chance is ~1%. Therefore, we claim that these novae arose from the GSS progenitor, not M31 - the first confirmed novae discovered in a tidal steam.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: This article has been accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ©: 2020 The Authors Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.
Uncontrolled Keywords: astro-ph.SR; astro-ph.SR; astro-ph.GA; astro-ph.HE
Subjects: Q Science > QB Astronomy
Q Science > QC Physics
Divisions: Astrophysics Research Institute
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Related URLs:
Date Deposited: 21 Apr 2020 12:09
Last Modified: 18 Aug 2022 10:30
DOI or ID number: 10.1093/mnras/staa1109
URI: https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/12777
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