The evolution of Nova V382 Velorum 1999

Abstract

We report results of spectroscopic observations of V382 Vel (Nova Vel 1999) carried out at La Silla between 5 and 498 days after maximum light (23 May 1999, V(max) ∼ 2.3 ± 0.1). The analysis of the photometric and spectroscopic evolution shows this object to be a fast nova belonging to the Fe II broad spectroscopic class. A distance of 1.7 kpc (±20%) is derived from the maximum magnitude vs. rate of decline relationship after correcting for the small reddening toward the nova, E(B-V) ≲ 0.10. From the measured Hα flux and the associated rate of expansion we derive an approximate mass for the ejected shell, Menv ≲ 10-5 M⊙. We have also observed during the early decline a broad, short-lived (≲2 weeks) feature at 6705-6715 Å for which several identifications are possible, one of which is the lithium doublet at 6708 Å and which could place an empirical limit on the lithium production that might occur during the outburst of a fast nova. The high luminosity at maximum, Mv = -8.9, and the relatively small height above the galactic plane (z ≲ 160 pc) suggest that V382 Vel originated from a massive white dwarf, likely in the mass range 1.1-1.2 M⊙.