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Near infra-red spectroscopy of V838 Monocerotis
Near IR, multi-epoch, spectroscopic and photometric observations of the
enigmatic, eruptive variable V838 Mon in JHK bands are reported. One of the
unusual features is the detection of several strong neutral TiI lines in
emission in the K band. From the strength of these lines, the mass of the
ejected envelope is estimated to be in the range 10e-7 to 10e-5 M(sun). The
spectra also show the strong presence of the first and second overtones of 12CO
bands seen in the K and H bands. The CO bands show a complex evolution. Deep
water bands at 1.4 and 1.9 micron are also seen later in the object's
evolution. Blackbody fits to the JHK photometric data show that V838 Mon has
evolved to temperatures between 2400 - 2600 K by approximately 130 days after
outburst. The spectra at this stage have the general characteristics of a very
cool M giant.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, to appear in Astronomy and Astrophysic
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