A remarkable recurrent nova in M 31: The X-ray observations^⋆

¹ European Space Astronomy Centre, PO Box 78, 28692 Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid, Spain
e-mail: mhenze@sciops.esa.int
² Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, IC2 Liverpool Science Park, Liverpool, L3 5RF, UK
³ Department of Astronomy, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
⁴ Department of Astronomy, Keio University, Hiyoshi, Yokohama 223-8521, Japan
⁵ Department of Earth Science and Astronomy, College of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Komaba, Meguro-ku, 153-8902 Tokyo, Japan

Received: 13 January 2014
Accepted: 7 February 2014

Abstract

Context. Another outburst of the recurrent M 31 nova M31N 2008-12a was announced in late November 2013. Optical data suggest an unprecedentedly short recurrence time of approximately one year.

Aims. In this Letter we address the X-ray properties of M31N 2008-12a.

Methods. We requested Swift monitoring observations shortly after the optical discovery. We estimated source count rates and extracted X-ray spectra from the resulting data. The corresponding ultraviolet (UV) data were also analysed.

Results. The nova M31N 2008-12a was clearly detected as a bright supersoft X-ray source (SSS) only six days after the well-constrained optical discovery. It displayed a short SSS phase of two weeks’ duration and an exceptionally hot X-ray spectrum with an effective black-body temperature of ~97 eV. During the SSS phase the X-ray light curve displayed significant variability that might have been accompanied by spectral variations. The very early X-ray variability was found to be anti-correlated with simultaneous variations in the UV flux.

Conclusions. The X-ray properties of M31N 2008-12a coherently point towards a high-mass white dwarf in the nova system. This object might be a promising Type Ia supernova progenitor. We rediscovered additional X-ray detections of M31N 2008-12a that are consistent with our data and increase the number of known nova outbursts to seven. This nova is an exceptional object that merits further attention in the future.