[vsnet-grb-info 5500] Optical Spectroscopy of the Transient in NGC 2770

[GCN Circulars]

TITLE:   GCN CIRCULAR
NUMBER:  7165
SUBJECT: Optical Spectroscopy of the Transient in NGC 2770
DATE:    08/01/11 15:25:19 GMT
FROM:    Alicia Soderberg at Caltech  <ams at astro.caltech.edu>

A. Soderberg, E. Berger (Princeton), D. Fox, A. Cucchiara (Penn State), A. 
Rau, E. Ofek, M. Kasliwal, and S. B. Cenko (Caltech) report on behalf of a 
large collaboration:

"We observed the optical counterpart to the X-ray transient in NGC 2770 
(GCNs 7159, 7160) with the Gemini-N/GMOS and Palomar 200-inch/COSMIC 
spectrographs beginning at Jan 11.3 UT.  The exposure times were 2x600 sec 
and 2x900 sec for the Gemini and Palomar data, respectively. A preliminary 
analysis of the reduced spectra reveals that the optical counterpart has a 
smooth, featureless continuum.  We note that there is some suggestion 
of a broad bump near 5500 Ang which may indicate the emergence of SN 
features.

Further analysis is in progress."