Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy of Transient Novae Eruptions

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Novae explosions result from the sudden "burning" of fresh hydrogen dumped onto a white dwarf by an orbiting companion. The composition of the nova ejecta is dominated by heavy elements, reflecting the mass lost by the evolved white dwarf star. One area in which nova observations has been lacking has been that of the infrared. The Principal Investigator (PI) will conduct a three year study of bright nova with a modern detector in the infrared using the Uni- versity of Wyoming's 2.3-meter infrared telescope. These spectra will permit the study of fine-structure "coronal" lines as the nova ejecta gas becomes rarefied and as atoms of several intermediate-mass elements (Al, Ne, Si, Mg) selectively condense onto dust grains. The PI's observations should provide direct evidence of this process and provide an understanding of the chemical abundances of this one important constituent of the dust grains in interstellar space.