The 2010 early outburst spectrum of the recurrent nova U Scorpii

¹ Department of Terrestrial MagnetismCarnegie Institution of Washington, 5241 Broad Branch Road NW, Washington, DC 20015, USA
e-mail: skafka@dtm.ciw.edu
² Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
e-mail: wms@stsci.edu

Received: 16 July 2010
Accepted: 2 December 2010

Abstract

Aims. We present optical spectra of the fast recurrent nova U Sco during its recent outburst, obtained within 24 h of maximum light.

Methods. We use medium resolution (R ~ 4000) spectra taken with the with the MagE spectrograph on the Magellan (Clay) 6.5 m telescope of the Las Campanas Observatories.

Results. The spectrum is notable for its lack of a low ionization transient heavy element absorption system that is visible in the large majority of novae near maximum light. We suggest that this may be due to the dominance of inner Lagrangian L1 mass transfer and the absence of a circumbinary gas reservoir in this object.