Optical detection of the X-ray flash in the very fast nova V1674 Her: Optical contribution of the irradiated accretion disk

Abstract: V1674 Her is one of the fastest and brightest novae, characterized by dense optical photometry in the pre-maximum phase, a rise from $g=17$ to 7 mag, in one-fourth of a day. We present a composite theoretical $V$ light curve model of its early rising phase starting from a quiescent brightness of $g=19.2$ mag. Our light curve model consists of a hot and bright white dwarf (WD) and irradiated accretion disk and companion star. We found that the earliest optical detection of ASAS-SN $g$ band brightness of $g=17.0$ at $t=0.014$ day from the onset of thermonuclear runaway can be explained with the irradiated accretion disk and companion star in the X-ray flash phase of a $1.35 ~M_\odot$ WD. This is the first detection in optical of an X-ray flash phase of a nova. Optically thick winds emerge from the WD photosphere at $t=0.04$ day, and optical flux is dominated by free-free emission from optically-thin ejecta just outside the WD photosphere. Our free-free emission model $V$ light curve reasonably reproduces the dense $g$ light curve of Evryscope that spans from $g=14.8$ (at 0.078 day) to $g=7.1$ (at 0.279 day), including a sudden change of slope in the $g$ light curve from slow to rapid rise at $g=14.3$ on day $0.1$. There is no indication of shocking power during the rising phase from $g=14.8$ to 7.1.