2009A&A...507..923P

The launch of Swift has allowed many more novae to be observed regularly over the X-ray band. Such X-ray observations of novae can reveal ejecta shocks and the nuclear burning white dwarf, allowing estimates to be made of the ejecta velocity. We analyse XMM-Newton and Swift X-ray and UV observations of the nova V598 Pup, which was initially discovered in the XMM-Newton slew survey. These data were obtained between 147 and 255 days after the nova outburst, and are compared with the earlier, brighter slew detection.The X-ray spectrum consists of a super-soft source, with the soft emission becoming hotter and much fainter between days ∼147 and ∼172 after the outburst, and a more slowly declining optically thin component, formed by shocks with kT∼200-800eV (corresponding to velocities of 400-800km/s). The main super-soft phase had a duration of less than 130 days. The Reflection Grating Spectrometer data show evidence of emission lines consistent with optically thin emission of kT∼100eV and place a limit on the density of the surrounding medium of log(n_e/cm3)<10.4 at the 90% level. The UV emission is variable over short timescales and fades by at least one magnitude (at λ∼2246-2600Å) between days 169 and 255.