Novae are thermonuclear explosions on a white dwarf surface fueled by mass accreted from a companion star. Current physical models posit that shocked expanding gas from the nova shell can produce x-ray emission, but emission at higher energies has not been widely expected. Here, we report the Fermi Large Area Telescope detection of variable gamma-ray emission (0.1 to 10 billion electron volts) from the recently detected optical nova of the symbiotic star V407 Cygni. We propose that the material of the nova shell interacts with the dense ambient medium of the red giant primary and that particles can be accelerated effectively to produce pi(0) decay gamma-rays from proton-proton interactions. Emission involving inverse Compton scattering of the red giant radiation is also considered and is not ruled out.

This paper characterizes the actual science performance of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), as determined from the six month commissioning period. We summarize the performance of the spacecraft, telescope, science instruments, and ground system, with an emphasis on differences from pre-launch expectations. Commissioning has made clear that JWST is fully capable of achieving the discoveries for which it was built. Moreover, almost across the board, the science performance of JWST is better than expected; in most cases, JWST will go deeper faster than expected. The telescope and instrument suite have demonstrated the sensitivity, stability, image quality, and spectral range that are necessary to transform our understanding of the cosmos through observations spanning from near-earth asteroids to the most distant galaxies.

Context. V407 Cyg was, before 2010 Mar., known only as a D-type symbiotic binary system in which the Mira variable has a pulsation period of approximately 750 days, one of the longest known. On 2010 Mar. 10, it was discovered in outburst, eventually reaching V < 8. This is the first recorded nova event for this system, but it closely resembles the spectroscopic development of RS Oph, the prototypical symbiotic-like recurrent nova. It was also detected by Fermi above 100 MeV and displayed strong, likely nonthermal centimeter wavelength radio emission. Aims. Unlike classical novae occurring in compact cataclysmic binary systems, for which the ejecta undergo free ballistic expansion, this explosion occurred within the dense, complex wind of a Mira variable companion. This paper concentrates on the development of the shock and its passage through the Mira wind. We also present some constraints on the binary system properties. Methods. Using medium and high resolution ground-based optical spectra, visual and Swift UV photometry, and Swift X-ray spectrophotometry, we describe the behavior of the high-velocity profile evolution for this nova during its first three months. Results. Using the diffuse interstellar bands visible in the high-resolution optical spectra, we obtain an extinction E(B − V) ≈ 0.45 ± 0.05. The spectral type of the red giant during this period, when the star was at R minimum, was no earlier than M7 III. The peak of the X-ray emission occurred at about day 40 with a broad maximum and decline after day 50. The main changes in the optical spectrum began at around that time. The He II 4686 Å line first appeared between days 7 and 14 and initially displayed a broad, symmetric profile that is characteristic of all species before day 60. The profile development thereafter depended on ionization state. Low-excitation lines remained comparatively narrow, with v rad,max of order 200-400 km s −1 . They were systematically more symmetric than lines such as [Ca V], [Fe VII], [Fe X], and He II, all of which showed a sequence of profile changes going from symmetric to a blue wing similar to that of the low ionization species but with a red wing extended to as high as 600 km s −1 . The [O I] 6300, 6364 doublet showed a narrow wind-emission component near the rest velocity of the system and a broad component, 200-300 km s −1 , whose relative intensity increased in time. Forbidden lines of N II and O III had two separate contributors to the profiles, a broad line that increased in strength and velocity width, exceeding 200 km s −1 , and narrow components from a surrounding ionized region at higher velocity than the Mira wind. The Na I D doublet developed a broad component with similar velocity width to the other low-ionization species. The O VI Raman features observed in recent outbursts of RS Oph were not detected. We interpret these variations as aspherical expansion of the ejecta within the Mira wind. The blue side is from the shock penetrating into the wind while the red wing is from the low-density peri...

Abstract. Optical region spectra of 31 HgMn stars have been studied for the abundance and isotope mixture of mercury. In the course of the investigation the lines Hg  λ4358 and Hg  λλ3984,6149 have been studied, with abundances established for all three lines in several HgMn stars. The mercury isotope mixture has been determined from high resolution spectra of the λ3984 line. Possible signs of an ionization anomaly have been detected by the comparison of the abundance derived from the Hg  line and the Hg  lines in seven of the observed HgMn stars. A possible correlation of the mercury abundance with T eff has been detected. Possible signs of a weak anticorrelation of the manganese and mercury abundance in HgMn stars have been found, which could be interpreted as a sign of inhomogeneous surface distribution of these elements. For a number of the HgMn stars in this study the mercury abundance and isotope mixture are reported for the first time.

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Aims.In this paper we demonstrate how Strömgren uvby photometry can be efficiently used to: 1. identify red giant branch stars that are members in a dwarf spheroidal galaxy; 2. derive age-independent metallicities for the same stars and quantify the associated errors. Methods. Strömgren uvby photometry in a 11 × 22 arcmin field centered on the Draco dwarf spheroidal galaxy was obtained using the Isaac Newton Telescope on La Palma. Members of the Draco dSph galaxy were identified using the surface gravity sensitive c 1 index which discriminates between red giant and dwarf stars. Thus enabling us to distinguish the (red giant branch) members of the dwarf spheroidal galaxy from the foreground dwarf stars in our galaxy. The method is evaluated through a comparison of our membership list with membership classifications in the literature based on radial velocities and proper motions. The metallicity sensitive m 1 index was used to derive individual and age-independent metallicities for the members of the Draco dSph galaxy. The derived metallicities are compared to studies based on high resolution spectroscopy and the agreement is found to be very good. Results. We present metallicities for 169 members of the red giant branch in the Draco dwarf spheroidal galaxy (the largest sample to date). The metallicity distribution function for the Draco dSph galaxy shows a mean [Fe/H] = -1.74 dex with a spread of 0.24 dex. The correlation between metallicity and colour for the stars on the red giant branch is consistent with a dominant old, and coeval population. There is a possible spatial population gradient over the field with the most metal-rich stars being more centrally concentrated than the metal-poor stars.

Abstract. Previously, weak emission lines had been detected at red wavelengths in the spectra of a limited sample of mid to late B type main sequence stars. A fuller description of the occurrence and origins of these lines has yet to be forwarded, in part due to the lack of observations detailing the spectral transitions involved. To address this deficiency, we present a line list of weak emission features found in the optical and near infrared spectral region of the chemically peculiar He-weak star 3 Cen A (HD 120709). Nearly 350 features, mostly associated with allowed transitions from high-excitation states of first ions, are catalogued along with identifications. Prominent among the emission lines are the spectra P II, Mn II, Fe II, Ni II and Cu II. Emission lines from Ca II, Si II and Hg II are also evident. Abundances are determined for several elements from synthetic spectrum fitting, with anomalies detected for the ions O I/II, P II/III and Si II/III. The LTE synthetic spectrum fitting also revealed that the low excitation 4s−4p transitions of Fe II predict an abundance that is greater than that determined from higher excitation 4d−4f transitions. Several of these latter transitions have upper energy levels that are found to be associated with emission lines. We also present empirical considerations for the excitation processes leading to the weak emission lines.

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