A near-infrared catalogue of the Galactic novae in the VVV survey area
  Near-IR data of Classical Novae contain useful information about the ejected
gas mass and the thermal emission by dust formed during eruption, and provide
independent methods to classify the objects according to the colour of their
progenitors, and the fading rate and features seen after eruption. The VISTA
Variables in the Via Lactea survey (VVV) is a near-IR ESO Public Survey mapping
the MW bulge and southern plane. Data taken during 2010-2011 covered the entire
area in the JHKs bands plus some epochs in Ks-band of the ongoing VVV
variability campaign. We used the novae list provided by VSX/AAVSO catalogue to
search for all objects within the VVV area. We used the VVV data to create a
near-IR catalogue of the known Galactic novae in the 562 sq.deg. area covered
by VVV. The VVV near-IR catalogue of novae contains JHKs photometry of 93
objects completed as of December 2012. We also checked in the ongoing VVV
variability campaign for the light-curves of novae that erupted in the last
years. VVV images can also be used to discover and study novae by searching for
the expanding shell. Since objects are seen at different distances and
reddening levels, the colour-magnitude and colour-colour diagrams show the
novae spread in magnitude as well as in colour. Dereddened colours and
reddening-free indices were used with caution and cannot be a good approach in
all cases since the distance and spectral features prevent more conclusive
results for some extreme objects. Light-curves for some recent novae are
presented. Thanks to its high spatial resolution in the near-IR, and large
Ks-range, the VVV survey can be a major contributor for the search and study of
novae in the most crowded and high-extinction regions of the Milky Way. The VVV
survey area contains ~35 of all known novae in the Galaxy.
