[vsnet-alert 9851] (ATEL) V1281 Sco SSS phase

[Taichi Kato]

   No optical observations have been reported in 2008 yet.

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The Astronomer's Telegram                   http://www.astronomerstelegram.org 
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ATEL #1370							     ATEL #1370

Title:		Nova V1281 Sco now a bright SSS
Author:	J.U. Ness and S. Starrfield (Arizona State), G. Schwarz (West
		Chester), M.F. Bode (Liverpool), J.P. Osborne and K.L. Page  (Leicester)
Queries:	Jan-Uwe.Ness at asu.edu
Posted:	25 Jan 2008;  16:32  UT
Subjects:	Ultra-Violet, X-ray, Cataclysmic Variables, Novae

On behalf of the Swift nova-cv group, we report the detection of a bright
SSS X-ray spectrum for Nova V1281 Sco (discovered on 2007, Feb. 19.85)
with the Swift XRT instrument (0.25-10 keV) on Jan. 24.18, 2008. The average
count rate was 0.15+/-0.01 cps over the 5.24 ks observation. The spectrum
peaks at 0.5 keV and can be fitted with an absorbed blackbody with parameters
T=5x10<math><sup>5</math></sup> K and NH=8x10<math><sup>21</math></sup>
cm<math><sup>-2</sup></math>. However, there is a suggestion of emission
lines of NVI and NVII at 0.45 and 0.50 keV, respectively, which indicates
a more complicated spectrum. The only previous Swift/XRT observation was
three days after discovery (<a href='http://www.astronomerstelegram.org/?read=1011'>ATel
1011</a>), and we obtain an upper limit of 0.001 cps. We also inspected
the Swift UV filter images of the V1281 Sco field obtained with the UVOT
instrument. V1281 Sco was not detected in either the UVM2 (231nm) or the
UVW1 (291nm) filters, consistent with the large extinction previously reported
(<a href='http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iauc/08800/08846.html#Item1'>IAUC8846</a>).
There was a detection in the shorter wavelength UVW2 band (212nm) at 19.110+/-0.059
magnitude. This corresponds to a flux of (1.22+/-0.07)10<math><sup>-16</sup></math>
erg s<math><sup>-1</sup></math>cm<math><sup>-2</sup></math><math><sup>-1</math></sup>
which may be due to strong C III] (191nm) emission. 

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