Spectrophotometry of the nebula surrounding nova T AUR 1891.

Spectrophotometric observations of the faint nebula associated with nova T Aurigae are presented. As in DQ Her, recombination lines dominate the emission from the nebula with H(+), He(+), N(2+), and O(2+) being the most prominent species. An analysis of emission-line ratios establishes an He overabundance relative to H by a factor of 3, which is interpreted as evidence for a hydrogen deficiency in the ejecta. CNO are enhanced by at least an order of magnitude relative to He, a common but unexplained characteristic of many novae. In another parallel with DQ Her, a low-electron temperature component is found in the nebula, and its existence in highly ionized regions may present difficulties for simple time-dependent models of nova nebulae.