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We present optical and infrared (IR) light curves of the enshrouded massive binary NaSt1 (WR 122) with observations from Palomar Gattini-IR (PGIR), the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), the Katzman Automatic Imaging Telescope (KAIT), and the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN). The optical and IR light curves span between 2014 July and 2020 Oct., revealing periodic, sinusoidal variability from NaSt1 with a P=305.2±1.0 d period. We also present historical IR light curves taken between 1983 July and 1989 May that also indicate NaSt1 exhibits long-term IR variability on timescales of ∼decades. Fixed-period sinusoidal fits to the recent optical and IR light curves show that amplitude of NaSt1's variability is different at different wavelengths and also reveal significant phase offsets of ∼18 d between the ZTF r and PGIR J light curves.We interpret the ∼300 d period of the observed variability as the orbital period of a binary system in NaSt1. Assuming a circular orbit and adopting a range of combined stellar mass values in the range 20-100 M⊙ in NaSt1, we estimate orbital separations of ∼2-4 au. We suggest that the sinusoidal photometric variability of NaSt1 may arise from variations in the line-of-sight optical depth toward circumstellar optical/IR emitting regions throughout its orbit due to colliding-wind dust formation. We provide an interpretation on the nature of NaSt1 and speculate that the mass-transfer process may have been triggered by Roche-lobe overflow (RLOF) during an eruptive phase of a Ofpe/WN9 star. Lastly, we claim that NaSt1 ceased RLOF mass transfer ≲3400 yr ago.
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Palomar discovery and initial characterization of naked-eye long-period comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)
ABSTRACT Long-period comets are planetesimal remnants constraining the environment and volatiles of the protoplanetary disc. We report the discovery of hyperbolic long-period comet C/2022 E3 Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), which has a perihelion ∼1.11 au, an eccentricity ≳1 and an inclination ∼109°, from images taken with the Palomar 48-inch telescope during morning twilight on 2022 March 2. Additionally, we report the characterization of C/2022 E3 (ZTF) from observations taken with the Palomar 200-inch, the Palomar 60-inch, and the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility in early 2023 February to 2023 March when the comet passed within ∼0.28 au of the Earth and reached a visible magnitude of ∼5. We measure g–r = 0.70 ± 0.01, r–i = 0.20 ± 0.01, i–z = 0.06 ± 0.01, z–J = 0.90 ± 0.01, J–H = 0.38 ± 0.01, and H–K = 0.15 ± 0.01 colours for the comet from observations. We measure the A(0°)fρ (0.8 μm) in a 6500 km radius from the nucleus of 1483 ± 40 cm, and CN, C3, and C2 production of 5.43 ± 0.11 × 1025, 2.01 ± 0.04 × 1024, and 3.08 ± 0.5 × 1025 mol s−1, similar to other long-period comets. We additionally observe the appearance of jet-like structures at a scale of ∼4000 km in wide-field g-band images, which may be caused by the presence of CN gas in the near-nucleus coma.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2034437
- PAR ID:
- 10468572
- Publisher / Repository:
- Oxford University Press
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
- Volume:
- 527
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 1745-3925
- Format(s):
- Medium: X Size: p. L42-L46
- Size(s):
- p. L42-L46
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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