Dust Formation in the Nova V1533 Scorpii

We present infrared spectroscopy from two epochs of V1533 Scorpii (=Nova Scorpii 2013); one from immediately before dust formation and a second, from one month later when dust formation was complete. The pre-dust spectrum shows strong lines of C i , features that weakened considerably but were still present after dust formation. Also present in the post-formation spectrum was O i emission from the neutral region, indicating that dust formation did not full deplete either carbon or oxygen. While thermal emission from the dust, of a temperature very close to 870 K, dominated the later spectrum, the extinction did not change measurably between epochs, indicating that little or no dust blocked the line-of-sight. Although carbon monoxide was not detected in the first epoch spectrum, weak emission from molecular hydrogen may have been present.