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On 2021 August 8, the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi erupted again, after an interval of 15.5 yr. Regular monitoring by the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory began promptly, on August 9.9 (0.37 day after the optical peak), and continued until the source passed behind the Sun at the start of November, 86 days later. Observations then restarted on day 197, once RS Oph emerged from the Sun constraint. This makes RS Oph the first Galactic recurrent nova to have been monitored by Swift throughout two eruptions. Here we investigate the extensive X-ray datasets from 2006 and 2021, as well as the more limited data collected by EXOSAT in 1985. The hard X-rays arising from shock interactions between the nova ejecta and red giant wind are similar following the last two eruptions. In contrast, the early super-soft source (SSS) in 2021 was both less variable and significantly fainter than in 2006. However, 0.3-1 keV light-curves from 2021 reveal a 35 s quasi-periodic oscillation consistent in frequency with the 2006 data. The Swift X-ray spectra from 2021 are featureless, with the soft emission typically being well parametrized by a simple blackbody, while the 2006 spectra showed much stronger evidence for superimposed ionized absorption edges. Considering the data after day 60 following each eruption, during the supersoft phase the 2021 spectra are hotter, with smaller effective radii and lower wind absorption, leading to an apparently reduced bolometric luminosity. We explore possible explanations for the gross differences in observed SSS behaviour between the 2006 and 2021 outbursts., 21 pages, 16 colour figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS. Table 1 in full is included as an ancillary PDF (will be supplementary online material when published by MNRAS)

We present spectroscopic observations of the Be/X-ray binary X Per obtained during the period December 2017 - January 2020 (MJD~58095 - MJD~58865). In December 2017 the $H\alpha$, $H\beta$, and HeI 6678 emission lines were symmetric with violet-to-red peak ratio $V/R \approx 1$. During the first part of the period (December 2017 - August 2018) the V/R-ratio decreased to 0.5 and the asymmetry developed simultaneously in all three lines. In September 2018, a third component with velocity $\approx 250$~km~s$^{-1}$ appeared on the red side of the HeI line profile. Later this component emerged in $H\beta$, accompanied by the appearance of a red shoulder in $H\alpha$. Assuming that it is due to an eccentric wave in the circumstellar disc, we find that the eccentric wave appeared first in the innermost part of the disc, it spreads out with outflowing velocity $v_{wave} \approx 1.1 \pm 0.2 $~km~s$^{-1}$, and the eccentricity of the eccentric wave is $e_{wave} \approx 0.29 \pm 0.07$. A detailed understanding of the origin of such eccentricities would have applications to a wide range of systems from planetary rings to AGNs., Comment: MNRAS (accepted)

Context. The ~ 10–20 yr recurrent symbiotic nova RS Oph exploded on 2021 August 9, the seventh confirmed recorded outburst since 1898. During the previous outburst in 2006, the current fleet of X-ray space observatories was already in operation, and thanks to the longevity of Swift, XMM-Newton, and Chandra, a direct comparison between these two outbursts is possible. The Swift monitoring campaign revealed similar behaviour during the early shock phase but very different behaviour during the super-soft source (SSS) phase. Two XMM-Newton observations were made during the 2021 SSS phase on days 37.1 and 55.6 after the 2021 optical peak. We focus in this work on the bright SSS observation on day 55.6 and compare to SSS Chandra and XMM-Newton grating observations made on days 39.7, 54, and 66.9 after the 2006 optical peak. Aims. By exploring the reasons for the differences between the 2006 and 2021 outbursts, we aim to obtain a better general understanding of the emission and absorption mechanisms. While the emission mechanisms hold the key to the physics of novae and nuclear burning, absorption processes may dominate what we observe, and we aim to explore the cause of the gross initial variability in the observed SSS emission. Methods. We present a novel approach to down-scaling the observed (brighter) 2006 SSS spectra to match the 2021 day 55.6 spectrum by parameter optimisation of: (1) a constant factor (representing fainter source emission, smaller radius, eclipses, etc.), (2) a multi-ionisation photoelectric absorption model (representing different line-of-sight absorption), and (3) scaling with a ratio of two blackbody models with different effective temperatures (representing different brightness and colours). This model approach does not depend on a source model assuming the intrinsic source to be the same. It is therefore more sensitive to incremental changes than modelling approaches where source and absorption are modelled simultaneously. Results. The 2021d55.6 spectrum can be reproduced remarkably well by multiplying the (brighter) 2006d39.7 and 2006d54 spectra with the absorption model, while the 2006d66.9 spectrum requires additional colour changes to match the 2021.d55.6 spectrum. The 2006d39.7 spectrum much more closely resembles the 2021d55.6 spectrum in shape and structure than the same-epoch 2006d54 spectrum: The spectra on days 2006d39.7 and 2021d55.6 are richer in absorption lines with a deeper O I absorption edge, and blueshifts are higher (~1200 km s−1) than on day 2006d54 (~700 km s−1). In the SSS light curves on days 2006d39.7, 2006d54, and 2021d55.6, brightness and hardness variations are correlated, indicating variations of the O I column density. Only on day 2006d39.7, a 1000 s lag is observed. The 35 s period was detected on day 2021d55.6 with lower significance compared to 2006d54. Conclusions. We conclude that the central radiation source is the same, while absorption is the principal reason for observing lower soft-X-ray emission in 2021 than in 2006. This is consistent with a similar 2006 and 2021 [Fe X] line-flux evolution. We explain the reduction in line blueshift, depth in O I edge, and number of absorption lines from day 2006d39.7 to 2006d54 by deceleration and heating of the ejecta within the stellar wind of the companion. In 2021, less such deceleration and heating was observed, which we interpret as due to viewing at different angles through an inhomogeneous density distribution of the stellar wind, allowing free expansion in some directions (probed in 2021) and a higher degree of deceleration in others (probed in 2006). The higher absorption in 2021 can then be explained by the lower-temperature absorbing plasma being more opaque to soft X-rays. Our approach of scaling observations against observations is free of ambiguities from imperfect source models and can be applied to other grating spectra with complex continuum sources.

Mike Bode recalls the life of an observer of galaxies, developer of instruments and cricket enthusiast

We performed 48.6 hours (in 28 nights) of simultaneous B and V band observations of the flickering variability of the recurrent nova RS Oph in quiescence. During the time of our observations the brightness of the system varied between 13.2 > B > 11.1 and the colour in the range 0.86 < B-V < 1.33 . We find that RS~Oph becomes more blue, as it becomes brighter, however the hot component becomes more red as it becomes brighter (assuming that the red giant is non-variable). During all the runs RS Oph exhibits flickering with amplitude 0.16 - 0.59 mag in B band. For the flickering source we find that it has colour -0.14 < B-V < 0.40, temperature in the range 7200 < T_fl < 18900, and average radius 1.1 < R_fl < 6.7 R_sun. We do not find a correlation between the temperature of the flickering and the brightness. However, we do find a strong correlation (correlation coefficient 0.81, significance 1.1x10^{-7} ) between B band magnitude and the average radius of the flickering source - as the brightness of the system increases the size of the flickering source also increases. The estimated temperature is similar to that of the bright spot of cataclysmic variables. The persistent presence of flickering indicates that the white dwarf is actively accreting material for the next outburst., 10 pages, accepted in MNRAS

The recurrent nova M31N 2008-12a experiences annual eruptions, contains a near-Chandrasekhar mass white dwarf, and has the largest mass accretion rate in any nova system. In this paper, we present Hubble Space Telescope (HST) WFC3/UVIS photometry of the late decline of the 2015 eruption. We couple these new data with archival HST observations of the quiescent system and Keck spectroscopy of the 2014 eruption. The late-time photometry reveals a rapid decline to a minimum luminosity state, before a possible recovery / re-brightening in the run-up to the next eruption. Comparison with accretion disk models supports the survival of the accretion disk during the eruptions, and uncovers a quiescent disk mass accretion rate of the order of $10^{-6}\,M_\odot\,\mathrm{yr}^{-1}$, which may rise beyond $10^{-5}\,M_\odot\,\mathrm{yr}^{-1}$ during the super-soft source phase - both of which could be problematic for a number of well-established nova eruption models. Such large accretion rates, close to the Eddington limit, might be expected to be accompanied by additional mass loss from the disk through a wind and even collimated outflows. The archival HST observations, combined with the disk modeling, provide the first constraints on the mass donor; $L_\mathrm{donor}=103^{+12}_{-11}\,L_\odot$, $R_\mathrm{donor}=14.14^{+0.46}_{-0.47}\,R_\odot$, and $T_\mathrm{eff, donor}=4890\pm110$ K, which may be consistent with an irradiated M31 red-clump star. Such a donor would require a system orbital period $\gtrsim5$ days. Our updated analysis predicts that the M31N 2008-12a WD could reach the Chandrasekhar mass in < 20 kyr., 20 pages, 8 figures, 5 tables, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal

'Cataclysmic variables' are binary star systems in which one star of the pair is a white dwarf, and which often generate bright and energetic stellar outbursts. Classical novae are one type of outburst: when the white dwarf accretes enough matter from its companion, the resulting hydrogen-rich atmospheric envelope can host a runaway thermonuclear reaction that generates a rapid brightening. Achieving peak luminosities of up to one million times that of the Sun, all classical novae are recurrent, on timescales of months to millennia. During the century before and after an eruption, the 'novalike' binary systems that give rise to classical novae exhibit high rates of mass transfer to their white dwarfs. Another type of outburst is the dwarf nova: these occur in binaries that have stellar masses and periods indistinguishable from those of novalikes but much lower mass-transfer rates, when accretion-disk instabilities drop matter onto the white dwarfs. The co-existence at the same orbital period of novalike binaries and dwarf novae-which are identical but for their widely varying accretion rates-has been a longstanding puzzle. Here we report the recovery of the binary star underlying the classical nova eruption of 11 March AD 1437 (refs 12, 13), and independently confirm its age by proper-motion dating. We show that, almost 500 years after a classical-nova event, the system exhibited dwarf-nova eruptions. The three other oldest recovered classical novae display nova shells, but lack firm post-eruption ages, and are also dwarf novae at present. We conclude that many old novae become dwarf novae for part of the millennia between successive nova eruptions.

Here we report that the most rapidly recurring nova, M31N 2008-12a, which erupts annually, is surrounded by a "nova super-remnant" which demonstrates that M31N 2008-12a has erupted with high frequency for millions of years., Comment: 30 pages, 8 figures

The Andromeda Galaxy recurrent nova M31N 2008-12a had been observed in eruption ten times, including yearly eruptions from 2008-2014. With a measured recurrence period of $P_\mathrm{rec}=351\pm13$ days (we believe the true value to be half of this) and a white dwarf very close to the Chandrasekhar limit, M31N 2008-12a has become the leading pre-explosion supernova type Ia progenitor candidate. Following multi-wavelength follow-up observations of the 2013 and 2014 eruptions, we initiated a campaign to ensure early detection of the predicted 2015 eruption, which triggered ambitious ground and space-based follow-up programs. In this paper we present the 2015 detection; visible to near-infrared photometry and visible spectroscopy; and ultraviolet and X-ray observations from the Swift observatory. The LCOGT 2m (Hawaii) discovered the 2015 eruption, estimated to have commenced at Aug. $28.28\pm0.12$ UT. The 2013-2015 eruptions are remarkably similar at all wavelengths. New early spectroscopic observations reveal short-lived emission from material with velocities $\sim13000$ km s$^{-1}$, possibly collimated outflows. Photometric and spectroscopic observations of the eruption provide strong evidence supporting a red giant donor. An apparently stochastic variability during the early super-soft X-ray phase was comparable in amplitude and duration to past eruptions, but the 2013 and 2015 eruptions show evidence of a brief flux dip during this phase. The multi-eruption Swift/XRT spectra show tentative evidence of high-ionization emission lines above a high-temperature continuum. Following Henze et al. (2015a), the updated recurrence period based on all known eruptions is $P_\mathrm{rec}=174\pm10$ d, and we expect the next eruption of M31N 2008-12a to occur around mid-Sep. 2016., 46 pages, 19 figures, 14 tables, accepted for publication in ApJ (accepted version, minor changes made during the refereeing process)

Modelling the morphology of a nova outburst provides valuable information on the shaping mechanism in operation at early stages following the outburst. We performed morpho-kinematical studies, using {\sc shape}, of the evolution of the H\alpha\ line profile following the outburst of the nova KT Eridani. We applied a series of geometries in order to determine the morphology of the system. The best fit morphology was that of a dumbbell structure with a ratio between the major to minor axis of 4:1, with an inclination angle of 58$^{+6}_{-7}$ degrees and a maximum expansion velocity of 2800$\pm$200 km/s. Although, we found that it is possible to define the overall structure of the system, the radial density profile of the ejecta is much more difficult to disentangle. Furthermore, morphology implied here may also be consistent with the presence of an evolved secondary as suggested by various authors., Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in MNRAS

The Liverpool Telescope is a fully robotic 2-metre telescope located at the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos on the Canary Island of La Palma. The telescope began routine science operations in 2004, and currently seven simultaneously mounted instruments support a broad science programme, with a focus on transient followup and other time domain topics well suited to the characteristics of robotic observing. Work has begun on a successor facility with the working title ‘Liverpool Telescope 2’. We are entering a new era of time domain astronomy with new discovery facilities across the electromagnetic spectrum, and the next generation of optical survey facilities such as LSST are set to revolutionise the field of transient science in particular. The fully robotic Liverpool Telescope 2 will have a 4-metre aperture and an improved response time, and will be designed to meet the challenges of this new era. Following a conceptual design phase, we are about to begin the detailed design which will lead towards the start of construction in 2018, for first light ∼2022. In this paper we provide an overview of the facility and an update on progress. © (2016) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

We present the results of trawling through the SuperWASP data base for classical and recurrent novae. We report light curves for a nova in eruption, and for classical novae and a recurrent nova in quiescence. For five objects in quiescence, we report periodicity, arising in most cases from orbital modulation of the light from the cool secondary star. The stability of the SuperWASP system means that these data have huge potential for the study not only of novae in eruption, but also of the long-term modulations of light during quiescence.

With the advent of surveys such as the Catalina Real-Time Transient Survey, the Palomar Transient Factory, Pan-STARRS and Gaia, the search for variable objects and transient events is rapidly accelerating. There are, however important existing data-sets from instruments not originally designed to find such events. One example of such an instrument is the Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI), an all-sky space-based differential photometer which is able to produce light curves of bright objects (m ≤ 8) with a 102-minute cadence. In this paper we discuss the use of such an instrument for investigations of novæ, and outline future plans to find other variable objects with this hitherto untapped resource.

We have entered an era in time-domain astronomy in which the detected rate of explosive transients and important ephemeral states in persistent objects threatens to overwhelm the world's supply of traditional follow-up telescopes. As new, comprehensive time-domain surveys become operational and wide-field multi-messenger observatories come on-line, that problem will become more acute. The goal of this workshop was to foster discussion about how autonomous robotic telescopes and small-aperture conventional telescopes can be employed in the most effective ways to help deal with the coming deluge of scientifically interesting follow-up opportunities. Discussion topics included the role of event brokers, automated event triage, the establishment of cooperative global telescope networks, and real-time coordination of observations at geographically diverse sites. It therefore included brief overviews of the current diverse landscape of telescopes and their interactions, and also considered planned and potential new facilities and operating models.

Determining the evolution of the ejecta morphology of novae provides valuable information on the shaping mechanisms in operation at early stages of the nova outburst. Understanding such mechanisms has implications for studies of shaping for example in proto-Planetary Nebulae. Here we perform morpho-kinematical studies of V2491 Cyg using spectral data to determine the likely structure of the ejecta and its relationship to the central system and shaping mechanisms. We use Shape to model different morphologies and retrieve their spectra. These synthetic spectra are compared with observed spectra to determine the most likely morphology giving rise to them, including system inclination and expansion velocity of the nova ejecta. We find the best fit remnant morphology to be that of polar blobs and an equatorial ring with an implied inclination of 80$^{+3}_{-12}$ degrees and an maximum expansion velocity of the polar blobs of 3100$^{+200}_{-100}$ km/s and for the equatorial ring 2700$^{+200}_{-100}$ km/s. This inclination would suggest that we should observe eclipses which will enable us to determine more precisely important parameters of the central binary. We also note that the amplitude of the outburst is more akin to the found in recurrent nova systems.

We describe the highly variable X-ray and UV emission of V458 Vul (Nova Vul 2007), observed by Swift between 1 and 422 days after outburst. Initially bright only in the UV, V458 Vul became a variable hard X-ray source due to optically thin thermal emission at kT = 0.64 keV with an X-ray band unabsorbed luminosity of 2.3 × 1034 erg s–1 during days 71-140. The X-ray spectrum at this time requires a low Fe abundance (0.2+0.3–0.1 solar), consistent with a Suzaku measurement around the same time. On day 315 we find a new X-ray spectral component which can be described by a blackbody with temperature of kT = 23+9–5 eV, while the previous hard X-ray component has declined by a factor of 3.8. The spectrum of this soft X-ray component resembles those typically seen in the class of supersoft sources (SSS) which suggests that the nova ejecta were starting to clear and/or that the white dwarf photosphere is shrinking to the point at which its thermal emission reaches into the X-ray band. We find a high degree of variability in the soft component with a flare rising by an order of magnitude in count rate in 0.2 days. In the following observations on days 342.4-383.6, the soft component was not seen, only to emerge again on day 397. The hard component continued to evolve, and we found an anticorrelation between the hard X-ray emission and the UV emission, yielding a Spearman rank probability of 97%. After day 397, the hard component was still present, was variable, and continued to fade at an extremely slow rate but could not be analyzed owing to pile-up contamination from the bright SSS component.

We present a detailed study of the prompt and afterglow emission from Swift GRB 061126 using BAT, XRT, UVOT data and multi-color optical imaging from ten ground-based telescopes. GRB 061126 was a long burst (T_90=191 s) with four overlapping peaks in its gamma-ray light curve. The X-ray afterglow, observed from 26 min to 20 days after the burst, shows a simple power-law decay with alpha_X=1.290 \pm 0.008. Optical observations presented here cover the time range from 258 s (Faulkes Telescope North) to 15 days (Gemini North) after the burst; the decay rate of the optical afterglow shows a steep-to-shallow transition (from alpha_1=1.48 \pm 0.06 to alpha_2=0.88 \pm 0.03) approximately 13 min after the burst. We suggest the early, steep component is due to a reverse shock and show that the magnetic energy density in the ejecta, expressed as a fraction of the equipartion value, is a few ten times larger than in the forward shock in the early afterglow phase. The ejecta might be endowed with primordial magnetic fields at the central engine. The optical light curve implies a late-time break at about 1.5 days after the burst, while there is no evidence of the simultaneous break in the X-ray light curve. We model the broad band emission and show that some afterglow characteristics (the steeper decay in X-ray and the shallow spectral index from optical to X-ray) are difficult to explain in the framework of the standard fireball model. This might imply that the X-ray afterglow is due to an additional emission process, such as late time central engine activity rather than blast-wave shock emission. The possible chromatic break at 1.5 days after the burst would give support to the additional emission scenario., Comment: 14 pages, 10 figures, 1 table; Accepted for publication in ApJ

The first low radio frequency (

The phase of Super-Soft-Source (SSS) emission of the sixth recorded outburst of the recurrent nova RS Oph was observed twice with Chandra and once with XMM-Newton. The observations were taken on days 39.7, 54.0, and 66.9 after outburst. We confirm a 35-sec period on day 54.0 and found that it originates from the SSS emission and not from the shock. We discus the bound-free absorption by neutral elements in the line of sight, resonance absorption lines plus self-absorbed emission line components, collisionally excited emission lines from the shock, He-like intersystem lines, and spectral changes during an episode of high-amplitude variability. We find a decrease of the oxygen K-shell absorption edge that can be explained by photoionization of oxygen. The absorption component has average velocities of -1286+-267 km/s on day 39.7 and of -771+-65 km/s on day 66.9. The wavelengths of the emission line components are consistent with their rest wavelengths as confirmed by measurements of non-self absorbed He-like intersystem lines. We have evidence that these lines originate from the shock rather than the outer layers of the outflow and may be photoexcited in addition to collisional excitations. We found collisionally excited emission lines that are fading at wavelengths shorter than 15A that originate from the radiatively cooling shock. On day 39.5 we find a systematic blue shift of -526+-114 km/s from these lines. We found anomalous He-like f/i ratios which indicates either high densities or significant UV radiation near the plasma where the emission lines are formed. During the phase of strong variability the spectral hardness light curve overlies the total light curve when shifted by 1000sec. This can be explained by photoionization of neutral oxygen in the line of sight if the densities of order 10^{10}-10^{11} cm^{-3}., Comment: 16 pages, 10 figures, 4 tables. Accepted by ApJ; v2: Co-author Woodward added

Following the early Swift X-ray observations of the latest outburst of the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi in February 2006 (Paper I), we present new 1D hydrodynamical models of the system which take into account all three phases of the remnant evolution. The models suggest a novel way of modelling the system by treating the outburst as a sudden increase then decrease in wind mass-loss rate and velocity. The differences between this wind model and previous Primakoff-type simulations are described. A more complex structure, even in 1D, is revealed through the presence of both forward and reverse shocks, with a separating contact discontinuity. The effects of radiative cooling are investigated and key outburst parameters such as mass-loss rate, ejecta velocity and mass are varied. The shock velocities as a function of time are compared to the ones derived in Paper I. We show how the manner in which the matter is ejected controls the evolution of the shock and that for a well-cooled remnant, the shock deceleration rate depends on the amount of energy that is radiated away.

We report Hubble Space Telescope imaging obtained 155 days after the 2006 outburst of RS Ophiuchi. We detect extended emission in both [O III] λ5007 and [Ne V] λ3426 lines. In both lines, the remnant has a double ring structure. The east-west orientation and total extent of these structures (580 ± 50 AU at d = 1.6 kpc) is consistent with that expected due to expansion of emitting regions imaged earlier in the outburst at radio wavelengths. Expansion at high velocity appears to have been roughly constant in the east-west direction (vexp = 3200 ± 300 km s-1 in the plane of the sky), with tentative evidence of deceleration north-south. We present a bipolar model of the remnant whose inclination is consistent with that of the central binary. The true expansion velocities of the polar components are then v = 5600 ± 1100 km s-1. We suggest that the bipolar morphology of the remnant results from interaction of the outburst ejecta with a circumstellar medium that is significantly denser in the equatorial regions of the binary than at the poles. This is also consistent with observations of shock evolution in the X-ray and the possible presence of dust in the infrared. Furthermore, it is in line with models of the shaping of planetary nebulae with close binary central systems, and also with recent observations relating to the progenitors of Type Ia supernovae, for which recurrent novae are a proposed candidate. Our observations also reveal more extended structures to the south and east of the remnant whose possible origin is briefly discussed.

RoboNet-1.0 is a prototype global network of three two-meter robotic telescopes, placed in La Palma (Canary Islands), Maui (Hawaii), and Siding Spring (Australia). In April 2004, funding for RoboNet-1.0 until July 2007 was approved by PPARC's Science Committee, and the project commenced in earnest in August 2004. The search for cool extra-solar planets by optimised robotic monitoring of Galactic microlensing events is one of the two core elements of its scientific programme—observations of gamma-ray bursts is the other. During the 2005 observing season, light curves of more than 60 microlensing events have been sampled at regular intervals. One particular event, OGLE-2005-BLG-71, showed an anomaly caused by an extrasolar planet, which constituted the second detection of a planet by microlensing. As a by-product, our dense monitoring during caustic crossing events can resolve the brightness profile of observed source stars, providing an observational test of stellar atmosphere models. Current development work uses e-science to create a fully automated chain linking event monitoring to the detection of anomalies in the microlensing lightcurves that could be indications of planetary companions and on to the triggering of follow-up observations. In order to fully exploit the potential of such a network for detecting exoplanets, it will be necessary to complement the existing RoboNet with additional telescopes in the southern hemisphere.

V745 Sco is a recurrent nova, with the most recent eruption occurring in February 2014. V745 Sco was first observed by Swift a mere 3.7 hr after the announcement of the optical discovery, with the super-soft X-ray emission being detected around four days later and lasting for only ~two days, making it both the fastest follow-up of a nova by Swift and the earliest switch-on of super-soft emission yet detected. Such an early switch-on time suggests a combination of a very high velocity outflow and low ejected mass and, together with the high effective temperature reached by the super-soft emission, a high mass white dwarf (>1.3 M_sun). The X-ray spectral evolution was followed from an early epoch where shocked emission was evident, through the entirety of the super-soft phase, showing evolving column density, emission lines, absorption edges and thermal continuum temperature. UV grism data were also obtained throughout the super-soft interval, with the spectra showing mainly emission lines from lower ionization transitions and the Balmer continuum in emission. V745 Sco is compared with both V2491 Cyg (another nova with a very short super-soft phase) and M31N 2008-12a (the most rapidly recurring nova yet discovered). The longer recurrence time compared to M31N 2008-12a could be due to a lower mass accretion rate, although inclination of the system may also play a part. Nova V745 Sco (2014) revealed the fastest evolving super-soft source phase yet discovered, providing a detailed and informative dataset for study., 14 pages, 11 figures (4 in colour), accepted for publication in MNRAS

The Andromeda Galaxy recurrent nova M31N 2008-12a had been caught in eruption eight times. The inter-eruption period of M31N 2008-12a is ~1 year, making it the most rapidly recurring system known, and a strong single-degenerate Type Ia Supernova progenitor candidate. Following the 2013 eruption, a campaign was initiated to detect the predicted 2014 eruption and to then perform high cadence optical photometric and spectroscopic monitoring using ground-based telescopes, along with rapid UV and X-ray follow-up with the Swift satellite. Here we report the results of a high cadence multicolour optical monitoring campaign, the spectroscopic evolution, and the UV photometry. We also discuss tantalising evidence of a potentially related, vastly-extended, nebulosity. The 2014 eruption was discovered, before optical maximum, on October 2, 2014. We find that the optical properties of M31N 2008-12a evolve faster than all Galactic recurrent novae known, and all its eruptions show remarkable similarity both photometrically and spectroscopically. Optical spectra were obtained as early as 0.26 days post maximum, and again confirm the nova nature of the eruption. A significant deceleration of the inferred ejecta expansion velocity is observed which may be caused by interaction of the ejecta with surrounding material, possibly a red giant wind. We find a low ejected mass and low ejection velocity, which are consistent with high mass-accretion rate, high mass white dwarf, and short recurrence time models of novae. We encourage additional observations, especially around the predicted time of the next eruption, towards the end of 2015., 23 pages, 11 figures, 5 tables, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics

We present observations of M31LRN 2015 (MASTER OT J004207.99+405501.1), discovered in M31 in 2015 January, and identified as a rare and enigmatic luminous red nova (LRN). Spectroscopic and photometric observations obtained by the Liverpool Telescope showed the LRN becoming extremely red as it faded from its M(V) = -9.4 +/- 0.2 peak. Early spectra showed strong Halpha emission that weakened over time as a number of absorption features appeared, including Na I D and Ba II. At later times strong TiO absorption bands were also seen. A search of archival Hubble Space Telescope data revealed a luminous red source to be the likely progenitor system, with pre-outburst Halpha emission also detected in ground-based data. The outburst of M31LRN 2015 shows many similarities, both spectroscopically and photometrically, with that of V838 Mon, the best studied LRN. We finally discuss the possible progenitor scenarios., 5 pages, 3 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. Some minor changes, clarification, and additional references following feedback and the typesetting stage of publication

We analyze optical photometric data of short term variability (flickering) of accreting white dwarfs in cataclysmic variables (KR Aur, MV Lyr, V794 Aql, TT Ari, V425 Cas), recurrent novae (RS Oph and T CrB) and jet-ejecting symbiotic stars (CH Cyg and MWC 560). We find that the amplitude-flux relationship is visible over four orders of magnitude, in the range of fluxes from $10^{29}$ to $10^{33}$ erg s$^{-1}$ \AA$^{-1}$, as a "statistically perfect" correlation with correlation coefficient 0.96 and p-value $ \sim 10^{-28}$. In the above range, the amplitude of variability for any of our 9 objects is proportional to the flux level with (almost) one and the same factor of proportionality for all 9 accreting white dwarfs with $\Delta F = 0.36 (\pm 0.05) F_{av}$, $\sigma_{rms} = 0.086(\pm 0.011) F_{av}$, and $\sigma_{rms} / \Delta F = 0.24 \pm 0.02$. Over all, our results indicate that the viscosity in the accretion discs is practically the same for all 9 objects in our sample, in the mass accretion rate range $2 \times 10^{-11} - 2\times10^{-7}$ $M_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$., Comment: 5 pages, MNRAS 457 L10-L13 (2016)

The 2-m robotic Liverpool Telescope automatically discovered the optical afterglow of the INTEGRAL gamma-ray burst GRB 050502a 3 min after the GRB onset. The automatic identification of a bright optical transient of r'~15.8 triggered for the first time a multi–colour observation sequence in the BVr'i' filters during the first hour after a GRB. All the four light curves are fitted by a simple power law with index of 1.2±0.1. We also find evidence for an achromatic bump rising at t~0.02 days. We investigate different scenarios compatible with the data. We find possible evidence for a uniform circumburst medium with clumps in density, as in the case of GRB 021004. The alternative case of a wind environment cannot be ruled out, although it can hardly account for our observations. The alternative interpretation of the bump, as the result of a refreshed shock, appears to be more problematic, although it cannot be ruled out either.

We detect a Neptune mass-ratio (q~8e-5) planetary companion to the lens star in the extremely high-magnification (A~800) microlensing event OGLE-2005-BLG-169. If the parent is a main-sequence star, it has mass M~0.5 M_sun implying a planet mass of ~13 M_earth and projected separation of ~2.7 AU. When intensely monitored over their peak, high-magnification events similar to OGLE-2005-BLG-169 have nearly complete sensitivity to Neptune mass-ratio planets with projected separations of 0.6 to 1.6 Einstein radii, corresponding to 1.6--4.3 AU in the present case. Only two other such events were monitored well enough to detect Neptunes, and so this detection by itself suggests that Neptune mass-ratio planets are common. Moreover, another Neptune was recently discovered at a similar distance from its parent star in a low-magnification event, which are more common but are individually much less sensitive to planets. Combining the two detections yields 90% upper and lower frequency limits f=0.37^{+0.30}_{-0.21} over just 0.4 decades of planet-star separation. In particular, f>16% at 90% confidence. The parent star hosts no Jupiter-mass companions with projected separations within a factor 5 of that of the detected planet. The lens-source relative proper motion is ��~7--10 mas/yr, implying that if the lens is sufficiently bright, I, Submitted to ApJ Letters, 9 text pages + 4 figures + 1 table

We report our search for variability in the H-alpha emission line of the recurrent novae T CrB with time resolution 10-15 minutes. This is comparable with the time scale of the photometric flickering observed in this object. This is the first time that observations of the short time scale variation in emission lines have been made in this object. On two nights (990106 and 990107) we detected statistically significant variability (at 0.99 confidence level) in the line profile of H-alpha. This variability is confined in the central part of the emission line (\pm 100 km/s) although FWZI(H-alpha) is ~800 km/s. The variability in the line profile is accompanied with variability of the total equivalent width, EW(H-alpha), \pm 8% for 990106, and \pm 6% for 990107 (calculated from the mean value of EW). Assuming Keplerian motion, the variability is generated at a distance ~20-30 R_Solar from the white dwarf, which is approximately the radius of the ring the stream of gas forms as it flows away from L_1. On three other nights we are only able to put upper limits on the variability, \Delta EW(H-alpha) \pm 2% for 980415, \pm 4% for 980802, and \pm 3% for 980803.

The classical nova GK Persei rivaled the brightness of Vega at the peak of its outburst in 1901. Early observations showed it to possess optical nebulosities apparently expanding at super-light velocities, later explained as "light echoes." Indeed, it was the first astronomical source in which such motion was observed. Subsequently, the expanding nova remnant has turned out to be the longest lived and most energetic among the classical novae and appears more like a supernova remnant (SNR) in miniature but evolving on human timescales. Here we report the results of multifrequency observations and archival research that confirm the presence of an ancient planetary nebula (PN), with an apparent hourglass morphology, ejected by the nova in a previous phase of evolution and into which the nova ejecta are now running. The 1901 nova outburst is therefore the first of ultimately very many that this system will undergo. Furthermore, from measurements of the proper motion of the central binary we can now understand the asymmetries observed both in the outer (ancient planetary) and inner (1901 nova ejecta) nebulae and their relationship to the longest lived of the light echoes first observed around 100 years ago. GK Persei may therefore be an important key to our understanding of interacting binary, PN, and SNR evolution.

We give a brief summary of common basic characteristics of active phases during the whole (1963‐2000) observed symbiotic life of CH Cygni. We identify two types of outbursts: (1) those with pronounced signatures of a high-velocity mass outflow, and (2) those displaying signatures of only a mass inflow to the central star. On the basis of the observed Hα emission, we investigate mass loss from the active star during the period from when radio jets appeared (1984.6) to the most recent activity (1998‐2000). A simple expression, which relates the observed Hα luminosity to the mass-loss rate, is derived. We obtained mass-loss rates of ˙

We present Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging, a Very Large Array (VLA) radio map (4.74 GHz), optical high-resolution (echelle) spectroscopy and UBV photoelectric photometry of the symbiotic star CH Cyg obtained during its 1998–2000 active phase. The HST imaging, taken during eclipse, shows the central stars are embedded in a nebula extending to 620 ± 150 au for a distance of 270 ± 66 pc. The inner nebula is strongly influenced by the onset of activity and associated outflow in 1998. The surface brightness contours of the contemporaneous radio VLA observation agree well with HST images. Photometric observations of the broad 1999 U-minimum suggest that it is due to the eclipse of the active hot component by the giant on the long-period (14.5 yr) outer orbit. We also find that the onset of the 1998 and the 1992 active periods occur at the same orbital phase of the inner binary. Spectroscopic observations reveal two types of outflow from the active star: a high-velocity (>1200 km s−1) hot star wind sporadically alternating with a more massive outflow indicated by P-Cygni-like profiles. We present evidence connecting the extended nebulosity with the high-velocity shocked outflow, and hence the activity in the central binary.

We present new, high-resolution (70-mas) radio images of the colliding wind system WR 147 observed with Multi-element Radio-linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN), which show significant differences in the structures of both the thermally emitting WN8 stellar component (WR 147S) and the non-thermal wind-collision source (WR 147N). The size and shape of WR 147N change between the first and last epochs, as does the position of the emitting material. The presence of low-intensity emission between WR 147S and WR 147N is confirmed in one 5-GHz epoch, and this, together with the southerly movement of faint emission blobs seen by ourselves and Contreras & Rodriguez, suggests a north-south preferential outflow axis.

We present HST/WFPC2 images of the symbiotic star V1016 Cyg which, for the first time, directly explore the inner regions of the nebula to AU scales at optical wavelengths. They also suggest that the [OIII] 4959,5007 emission takes place in a bipolar outflow. We use these images to determine the position of the two stars and hence a projected binary separation of 84 AU (assuming a distance of 2 kpc) and a position angle of 143.5 degrees. Furthermore, we combine our images with VLA radio imaging which enables diagnostic tests to be applied and properties of the circumstellar nebula to be determined. Finally we have obtained archive HST/STIS spectra of V1016 Cyg with which we were able to spatially resolve the source at various positions in the nebula. This enabled discovery of the ultraviolet counterpart to the ~25 arcsec extended emission found by Bang et al. (1992)., Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ

The robotic 2m Liverpool Telescope, based on the Canary island of La Palma, has a diverse instrument suite and a strong track record in time domain science, with highlights including early time photometry and spectra of supernovae, measurements of the polarization of gamma-ray burst afterglows, and high cadence light curves of transiting extrasolar planets. In the next decade the time domain will become an increasingly prominent part of the astronomical agenda with new facilities such as LSST, SKA, CTA and Gaia, and promised detections of astrophysical gravitational wave and neutrino sources opening new windows on the transient universe. To capitalise on this exciting new era we intend to build Liverpool Telescope 2: a new robotic facility on La Palma dedicated to time domain science. The next generation of survey facilities will discover large numbers of new transient sources, but there will be a pressing need for follow-up observations for scientific exploitation, in particular spectroscopic follow-up. Liverpool Telescope 2 will have a 4-metre aperture, enabling optical/infrared spectroscopy of faint objects. Robotic telescopes are capable of rapid reaction to unpredictable phenomena, and for fast-fading transients like gamma-ray burst afterglows. This rapid reaction enables observations which would be impossible on less agile telescopes of much larger aperture. We intend Liverpool Telescope 2 to have a world-leading response time, with the aim that we will be taking data with a few tens of seconds of receipt of a trigger from a ground- or space-based transient detection facility. We outline here our scientific goals and present the results of our preliminary optical design studies., 12 pages with 5 figures and 1 table, presented at SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation 2014, conference 9145 (Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes V), to be published as paper 9145-36 in SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation 2014 Proceedings

Context: In late November 2013 a fifth eruption in five years of the M31 recurrent nova M31N 2008-12a was announced. Aims: In this Letter we address the optical lightcurve and progenitor system of M31N 2008-12a. Methods: Optical imaging data of the 2013 eruption from the Liverpool Telescope, La Palma, and Danish 1.54m Telescope, La Silla, and archival Hubble Space Telescope near-IR, optical and near-UV data are astrometrically and photometrically analysed. Results: Photometry of the 2013 eruption, combined with three previous eruptions, enabled construction of a template light curve of a very fast nova, t2(V)~4 days. The archival data allowed recovery of the progenitor system in optical and near-UV data, indicating a red-giant secondary with bright accretion disk, or alternatively a system with a sub-giant secondary but dominated by a disk. Conclusions: The eruptions of M31N 2008-12a, and a number of historic X-ray detections, indicate a unique system with a recurrence timescale of ~1 year. This implies the presence of a very high mass white dwarf and a high accretion rate. The recovered progenitor system is consistent with such an elevated rate of accretion.We encourage additional observations, especially towards the end of 2014., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics Letters (updated to mirror accepted version)

We investigated the optical lightcurve of T Pyx during its 2011 outburst by compiling a database of SMEI and AAVSO observations. The SMEI lightcurve, providing unprecedented detail covering 1.5-49d post-discovery, was divided into four phases based on the idealised CN optical lightcurve; the initial rise (1.5-3.3d), the pre-maximum halt (3.3-13.3d), the final rise (14.7-27.9d), and the early decline (27.9d-). The SMEI lightcurve contains a strongly detected period of 1.44+/-0.05d during the pre-maximum phase. These oscillations resemble those found in TNR models arising from instabilities in the expanding envelope. No spectral variation mirroring the lightcurve periodicity was found. A marked dip at 22-24d just before maximum light (27.9d) may represent the same phenomenon seen in novae observed by SMEI. Spectra from the Liverpool Telescope and SMARTS 1.5m were obtained from 0.8-80.7 and 155.1-249.9d, covering the major phases of development. A distinct high velocity ejection phase was evident during the early rise (V~4000 km/s). A marked drop at 5.7d, and then a gradual increase occurred in the ejection velocity which stabilised at ~1500 km/s at the pre-maximum halt. Here we propose two stages of mass loss, a short-lived phase occurring immediately after outburst, lasting ~6d, followed by a steadily evolving and higher mass loss phase. The overall spectral development follows that typical of a CN and comparison with the photometric behaviour reveals consistencies with the evolving pseudo-photosphere model of a CN outburst. Comparing optical spectra to X-ray and radio lightcurves, weak [Fe X] 6375 Angstrom emission was marginally detected before the X-ray rise and was clearly present during the brightest phase of X-ray emission. If the onset of the X-ray phase and the start of the optical final decline are related to the cessation of significant mass loss, then this occurred at 90-110d., 59 pages, 23 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal

Observations of novae at radio frequencies provide us with a measure of the total ejected mass, density profile and kinetic energy of a nova eruption. The radio emission is typically well characterized by the free-free emission process. Most models to date have assumed spherical symmetry for the eruption, although it has been known for as long as there have been radio observations of these systems, that spherical eruptions are to simplistic a geometry. In this paper, we build bipolar models of the nova eruption, assuming the free-free process, and show the effects of varying different parameters on the radio light curves. The parameters considered include the ratio of the minor- to major-axis, the inclination angle and shell thickness (further parameters are provided in the appendix). We also show the uncertainty introduced when fitting spherical model synthetic light curves to bipolar model synthetic light curves. We find that the optically thick phase rises with the same power law ($S_{\nu} \propto t^2$) for both the spherical and bipolar models. In the bipolar case there is a "plateau" phase -- depending on the thickness of the shell as well as the ratio of the minor- to major-axis -- before the final decline, that follows the same power law ($S_{\nu} \propto t^{-3}$) as in the spherical case. Finally, fitting spherical models to the bipolar model synthetic light curves requires, in the worst case scenario, doubling the ejected mass, more than halving the electron temperature and reducing the shell thickness by nearly a factor of 10. This implies that in some systems we have been over predicting the ejected masses and under predicting the electron temperature of the ejecta., Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ, accompanying movie to figure 3 available at http://www.ast.uct.ac.za/~valerio/papers/radioI/

The Liverpool Telescope is one of the world's premier facilities for time domain astronomy. The time domain landscape is set to radically change in the coming decade, with surveys such as LSST providing huge numbers of transient detections on a nightly basis; transient detections across the electromagnetic spectrum from other facilities such as SVOM, SKA and CTA; and the era of `multi-messenger astronomy', wherein events are detected via non-electromagnetic means, such as gravitational wave emission. We describe here our plans for Liverpool Telescope 2: a new robotic telescope designed to capitalise on this new era of time domain astronomy. LT2 will be a 4-metre class facility co-located with the LT at the Observatorio del Roque de Los Muchachos on the Canary island of La Palma. The telescope will be designed for extremely rapid response: the aim is that the telescope will take data within 30 seconds of the receipt of a trigger from another facility. The motivation for this is twofold: firstly it will make it a world-leading facility for the study of fast fading transients and explosive phenomena discovered at early times. Secondly, it will enable large-scale programmes of low-to-intermediate resolution spectral classification of transients to be performed with great efficiency. In the target-rich environment of the LSST era, minimising acquisition overheads will be key to maximising the science gains from any follow-up programme. The telescope will have a diverse instrument suite which is simultaneously mounted for automatic changes, but it is envisaged that the primary instrument will be an intermediate resolution, optical/infrared spectrograph for scientific exploitation of transients discovered with the next generation of synoptic survey facilities. In this paper we outline the core science drivers for the telescope, and the requirements for the optical and mechanical design., Comment: 53 pages including 7 figures and 1 table. Accepted by Experimental Astronomy. First revision modified in light of comments from the anonymous referee. This revision fixed some minor typographical errors introduced in the first revision

Classical novae are interacting binary stars in which a thermonuclear runaway in material accreted onto a white dwarf from a companion red dwarf results in the ejection of around 10−4M⊙ at hundreds to thousands of kilometres per second. Recent Hubble Space Telescope and MERLIN imaging of the expanding ejecta from several classical novae are presented. In general the ejecta are clumpy but often display coherent structures, most notably equatorial rings of enhanced emission encircling prolate ellipsoidal shells. Physical mechanisms (including the common envelope phase and anisotropic irradiation of the shell) which may result in the generation of these structures are discussed.

Symbiotic stars are a heterogenous group of interacting binaries, where the combination of a mass-losing giant and a hot compact companion create conditions ideal for studying interacting winds, dust formation, nebular shaping and accretion phenomena. We present HST and VLA observations of the symbiotic nova HM Sge as an example of our work. In this case, we characterise hot and cool parts of the extended nebula, determine the angular binary separation to be 40±9 milli-arcsec, and the interstellar reddening to be no more than E(B-V) = 0.35. Comparison with a suggested binary separation of 50 au gives a distance of 1250±280 pc, consistent with the sparsely-sampled distance-extinction mapping in the direction of HM Sge. A number of other observations of additional high spatial-resolution observations of symbiotic stars have been completed or are being planned.

We have detected radio emission from the remnant of V705 Cas, beginning 221 d after visual maximum. We follow the remnant from first detection while still optically thick through the turn-over to optically thin emission, and finally confirming the absence of emission due to expansion and fading by the end of 1998. While the emission is consistent with thermal bremsstrahlung, as seen in most previous novae, the small-scale structure shows two ridge-like features, which develop significantly from day 585 until our last detection on day 1544. While the development is fairly rapid, it is also much smoother than that seen in V1974 Cyg, in that we can follow individual features as they change over almost 1000 d. Our optical spectra unequivocally indicate some form of axial symmetry, as derived from the velocity structure. This is difficult to reconcile with the observed development in the radio images. We suggest a number of possible explanations.

We present MERLIN observations of the symbiotic nova V1016 Cygni made at 6 cm between 1992 and 1997 and at 18 cm in 1993 and 1997. In the 6-cm images we find complex structure which has not been previously seen, in particular three bright components. These components do not appear to be expanding as would be expected from the remains of a hot wind resulting from the nova outburst. The change in positions of two of the features exhibits tentative east–west movement. The brightness temperature of the peak with the highest flux density remains above 50 000 K in all epochs, thereby confirming the presence of shocked material in the system. At 18 cm there is no evidence of any non-thermal emission as might be expected from comparison with a sister star, HM Sge.

HM Sge is a symbiotic binary star that underwent a nova-like outburst in 1975. Its radio emission has been monitored using MERLIN and the VLA, and maps from 1992 to 1997 are presented. Thermal emission within 0.4 arcsec of the optical peak is elongated north--south and hotspots appear to be moving around an anticlockwise ellipse. If this is due to motion in an inclined disc, the period is ∼ 90 yr. Eyres et al. predicted that if this is due to Mach shocks in the post-nova wind, proper motions should be seen in expansion. This has not been detected since 1992, so an alternative model is adopted, based on the work of Eyres et al. and Kenny et al., of colliding winds in a binary system following the nova-like outburst. The emission peaks appear to be corotating with the binary orbit as the ionization front and the hot wind from the white dwarf interact with the Mira wind. The positions of the stars are estimated, at a separation of ∼ 25 au. A distance of ∼ 1 kpc is most consistent with the observations reported here. On arcsecond scales the emission is extended east--west, consistent with a biconical outflow arising from the collimation of the nova outburst through interaction with the pre-existing cool wind. The presence of non-thermal emission at a separation of ∼700 mas from the stars is confirmed. This is very unusual at such a distance from low-mass stars, and could arise from synchrotron emission in a μT magnetic field. A model for this is developed, which shows that non-thermal emission is expected to decline within decades as the nova wind decelerates. This could explain the non-detection of non-thermal emission in other symbiotic stars.

The paper ‘The helium abundance in the ejecta of U Scorpi’ was published in MNRAS, 419, 1465 (2012).An error has been identified in the abundance calculations, including the error analysis.

The effect of rotating white dwarf envelopes in determining the structure of nova shells is examined. This is achieved by numerical hydrodynamic simulations of the flows around a binary star system. In previous studies of remnant formation, this rotation has not been included. It is found that the structures formed in the flow are more consistent with observations of nova shells than the previous theoretical studies. The shells produced by the nova become more prolate with increasing white dwarf envelope rotation. Hence the rotation of white dwarf envelopes must be included in any future discussion of remnant formation. A possible method of identifying the dominant process by which mixing of accreted and white dwarf matter takes place is suggested.

We present the historical 1890-1996 photographiclB-band light curve of the symbiotic binary BF Cyg for the first time. It displays three types of eruption: (i) a slow, symbiotic nova outburst (1895-1960), probably caused by a thermonuclear event; (ii) short-term flares dependent on the orbital phase, possibly triggered by accretion events, and (iii) outbursts (1920, 1989) such as are observed in classical symbiotic stars. Analyses of the deep minimum in the optical continuum during the last outburst, the observed bolo metric luminosity of the cool component, and elements of the hot component orbit [Kh =25.9 km s-l,fh(m) = 1.4 M0 ] indicate the system to be 4.6-5.4 kpc distant, and show that the binary consists of an M bright giant (Mg '" 2 M0 , Rg~240-280 R 0 , Lg~5000 L 0 ), filling up or being close to its Roche lobe, and a hot, luminous, compact object (Mh ", 0.3-0.4 M0 , Lh ~ 1.4Lg ) with an orbital inclination i~70-90°. Our parameters are very different from those previously published.