Optical and X-ray Observations of the Nova KT Eridani 2009
Abstract
The nova KT Eri exploded in November 2009, reaching a peak magnitude of 5.4 mag at 2009 November 14.63 UT. After then, the brightness faded rapidly and went into its quiescence (V∼15) in the spring of 2011. On 2010 March 31, Swift undertook a 24-hour monitoring campaign of this nova, for which we provided ground-based CCD imaging photometric measurements taken with telescopes at Lulin (Taiwan), Tenagra (Arizona), and SMARTS/CTIO (Chile) covering the day before, during, and the day after the Swift campaign. The X-ray and optical light curves are compared. We also present long-term optical light curves and find a period of 56.7 days, which we interpret as due to the hot spot on the white dwarf accretion disk. We propose the companion of KT Eri to be an early K giant.
- Publication:
-
9th Pacific Rim Conference on Stellar Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- December 2011
- Bibcode:
- 2011ASPC..451..271H