Aims. We determine the temporal evolution of the luminosity (L WD ), radius (R WD ) and effective temperature (T eff ) of the white dwarf (WD) pseudophotosphere of V339 Del from its discovery to around day 40. Another main objective was studying the ionization structure of the ejecta. Methods. These aims were achieved by modelling the optical/near-IR spectral energy distribution (SED) using low-resolution spectroscopy (3500-9200 Å), UBVR C I C and JHKLM photometry. Important insights in the physical conditions of the ejecta were gained from an analysis of the evolution of the Hα and Raman-scattered 6825 Å O vi line using medium-resolution spectroscopy (R ∼ 10 000). Results. During the fireball stage (Aug. 14. 8-19.9, 2013), T eff was in the range of 6000-12 000 K, R WD was expanding non-uniformly in time from ∼66 to ∼300 (d/3 kpc) R , and L WD was super-Eddington, but not constant. Its maximum of ∼9 × 10 38 (d/3 kpc) 2 erg s −1 occurred around Aug. 16.0, at the maximum of T eff , half a day before the visual maximum. After the fireball stage, a large emission measure of 1.0−2.0×10 62 (d/3 kpc) 2 cm −3 constrained the lower limit of L WD to be well above the super-Eddington value. The mass of the ionized region was a few ×10 −4 M , and the mass-loss rate was decreasing from ∼5.7 (Aug. 22) to ∼0.71× 10 −4 M yr −1 (Sept. 20).The evolution of the Hα line and mainly the transient emergence of the Raman-scattered O vi 1032 Å line suggested a biconical ionization structure of the ejecta with a disk-like H i region persisting around the WD until its total ionization, around day 40. On Sept. 20 (day 35), the model SED indicated a dust emission component in the spectrum. The dust was located beyond the H i zone, where it was shielded from the hard, > ∼ 10 5 K, radiation of the burning WD at that time. Conclusions. Our extensive spectroscopic observations of the classical nova V339 Del allowed us to map its evolution from the very early phase after its explosion. It is evident that the nova was not evolving according to the current theoretical prediction. The unusual non-spherically symmetric ejecta of nova V339 Del and its extreme physical conditions and evolution during and after the fireball stage represent interesting new challenges for the theoretical modelling of the nova phenomenon.

Context. The larger number of models of asteroid shapes and their rotational states derived by the lightcurve inversion give us better insight into both the nature of individual objects and the whole asteroid population. With a larger statistical sample we can study the physical properties of asteroid populations, such as main-belt asteroids or individual asteroid families, in more detail. Shape models can also be used in combination with other types of observational data (IR, adaptive optics images, stellar occultations), e.g., to determine sizes and thermal properties. Aims. We use all available photometric data of asteroids to derive their physical models by the lightcurve inversion method and compare the observed pole latitude distributions of all asteroids with known convex shape models with the simulated pole latitude distributions. Methods. We used classical dense photometric lightcurves from several sources (Uppsala Asteroid Photometric Catalogue, Palomar Transient Factory survey, and from individual observers) and sparse-in-time photometry from the U.S. Naval Observatory in Flagstaff, Catalina Sky Survey, and La Palma surveys (IAU codes 689, 703, 950) in the lightcurve inversion method to determine asteroid convex models and their rotational states. We also extended a simple dynamical model for the spin evolution of asteroids used in our previous paper. Results. We present 119 new asteroid models derived from combined dense and sparse-in-time photometry. We discuss the reliability of asteroid shape models derived only from Catalina Sky Survey data (IAU code 703) and present 20 such models. By using different values for a scaling parameter c YORP (corresponds to the magnitude of the YORP momentum) in the dynamical model for the spin evolution and by comparing synthetic and observed pole-latitude distributions, we were able to constrain the typical values of the c YORP parameter as between 0.05 and 0.6.

Context. Asteroid modeling efforts in the last decade resulted in a comprehensive dataset of almost 400 convex shape models and their rotation states. These efforts already provided deep insight into physical properties of main-belt asteroids or large collisional families. Going into finer detail (e.g., smaller collisional families, asteroids with sizes 20 km) requires knowledge of physical parameters of more objects. Aims. We aim to increase the number of asteroid shape models and rotation states. Such results provide important input for further studies, such as analysis of asteroid physical properties in different populations, including smaller collisional families, thermophysical modeling, and scaling shape models by disk-resolved images, or stellar occultation data. This provides bulk density estimates in combination with known masses, but also constrains theoretical collisional and evolutional models of the solar system. Methods. We use all available disk-integrated optical data (i.e., classical dense-in-time photometry obtained from public databases and through a large collaboration network as well as sparse-in-time individual measurements from a few sky surveys) as input for the convex inversion method, and derive 3D shape models of asteroids together with their rotation periods and orientations of rotation axes. The key ingredient is the support of more that 100 observers who submit their optical data to publicly available databases. Results. We present updated shape models for 36 asteroids, for which mass estimates are currently available in the literature, or for which masses will most likely be determined from their gravitational influence on smaller bodies whose orbital deflections will be observed by the ESA Gaia astrometric mission. Moreover, we also present new shape model determinations for 250 asteroids, including 13 Hungarias and three nearEarth asteroids. The shape model revisions and determinations were enabled by using additional optical data from recent apparitions for shape optimization.

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Context. With an estimated diameter in the 320 to 350 km range, (704) Interamnia is the fifth largest main belt asteroid and one of the few bodies that fills the gap in size between the four largest bodies with D > 400 km (Ceres, Vesta, Pallas and Hygiea) and the numerous smaller bodies with diameter ≤200 km. However, despite its large size, little is known about the shape and spin state of Interamnia and, therefore, about its bulk composition and past collisional evolution. Aims. We aimed to test at what size and mass the shape of a small body departs from a nearly ellipsoidal equilibrium shape (as observed in the case of the four largest asteroids) to an irregular shape as routinely observed in the case of smaller (D ≤200 km) bodies. Methods. We observed Interamnia as part of our ESO VLT/SPHERE large program (ID: 199.C-0074) at thirteen different epochs. In addition, several new optical lightcurves were recorded. These data, along with stellar occultation data from the literature, were fed to the All-Data Asteroid Modeling (ADAM) algorithm to reconstruct the 3D-shape model of Interamnia and to determine its spin state. Results. Interamnia's volume-equivalent diameter of 332 ± 6 km implies a bulk density of ρ=1.98 ± 0.68 g · cm −3 , which suggests that Interamnia -like Ceres and Hygiea -contains a high fraction of water ice, consistent with the paucity of apparent craters. Our observations reveal a shape that can be well approximated by an ellipsoid, and that is compatible with a fluid hydrostatic equilibrium at the 2 σ level. Conclusions. The rather regular shape of Interamnia implies that the size/mass limit, under which the shapes of minor bodies with a high amount of water ice in the subsurface become irregular, has to be searched among smaller (D ≤300km) less massive (m ≤3x10 19 kg) bodies.