Discovery of a Cool Expanding Shell at -1200 Kilometers per Second around V471 Tauri

Sion, Edward M.; Bruhweiler, Fred C.; Mullan, Dermott; Carpenter, Ken

United States

Abstract

High-resolution IUE spectra of V471 Tauri reveal the presence of a very-high-velocity cool expanding gas in the line of sight to the binary system with an expansion velocity of -1200 km/s. The summed strength of the coadded absorption is 125 mA + or - 25 mA, with FWHM = 30 km/s. It is suggested that the observed absorption may be related to the narrow coadded absorption at -590 km/s noted by Bruhweiler and Sion (1966). The large expansion velocity suggests a possible association with an ancient nova outburst.

1989 The Astrophysical Journal
IUE 15