Contents
Images
Upload your image
DSS Images Other Images
Related articles
The distances of less-evolved planetary nebulae: a further test of statistical distance scales
It has recently been pointed out that a number of the methods used todetermine planetary nebulae (PNe) distances may be appreciably in error.Whilst the scales of Zhang (1995), Bensby & Lundstrom (2001) andothers are appropriate for higher radio brightness temperaturesTB, those of Phillips and Daub are more relevant whereTB is small.We note, in the following, that the absolute bolometric magnitudes ofless-evolved PNe are likely to be similar. The mean value of can therefore be used to constrain PNe distancesD, and confirm the distance scales for higher TB outflows. Wehave used this procedure to evaluate distances to a further 47 PNe, andwe find that the mean values of are consistent with those ofCahn, Kaler & Stanghellini (1992), Zhang (1995), Phillips et al.(2004) and van de Steene & Zijlstra (1995). They are, as expected,inconsistent with the lower TB scale of Phillips (2002a).
| The abundance discrepancy - recombination line versus forbidden line abundances for a northern sample of galactic planetary nebulae
We present deep optical spectra of 23 galactic planetary nebulae, whichare analysed in conjunction with archival infrared and ultravioletspectra. We derive nebular electron temperatures based on standardcollisionally excited line (CEL) diagnostics as well as the hydrogenBalmer jump and find that, as expected, the Balmer jump almost alwaysyields a lower temperature than the [OIII] nebular-to-auroral lineratio. We also make use of the weak temperature dependence of helium andOII recombination line ratios to further investigate the temperaturestructure of the sample nebulae. We find that, in almost every case, thederived temperatures follow the relation , which is the relationpredicted by two-component nebular models in which one component is coldand hydrogen-deficient. Te(OII) may be as low as a fewhundred Kelvin, in line with the low temperatures found for thehydrogen-deficient knots of Abell 30 by Wesson, Liu and Barlow.Elemental abundances are derived for the sample nebulae from both CELsand optical recombination lines (ORLs). ORL abundances are higher thanCEL abundances in every case, by factors ranging from 1.5 to 12. Fiveobjects with O2+ abundance discrepancy factors greater than 5are found. DdDm 1 and Vy 2-2 are both found to have a very largeabundance discrepancy factor of 11.8.We consider the possible explanations for the observed discrepancies.From the observed differences between Te(OIII) andTe(BJ), we find that temperature fluctuations cannot resolvethe abundance discrepancies in 22 of the 23 sample nebulae, implyingsome additional mechanism for enhancing ORL emission. In the oneambiguous case, the good agreement between abundances derived fromtemperature-insensitive infrared lines and temperature-sensitive opticallines also points away from temperature fluctuations being present. Theobserved recombination line temperatures, the large abundancediscrepancies and the generally good agreement between infrared andoptical CEL abundances all suggest instead the existence of a coldhydrogen-deficient component within the `normal' nebular gas. The originof this component is as yet unknown.
| The [Fe IV] Discrepancy: Constraining the Iron Abundances in Nebulae
We study the current discrepancy between the model-predicted andmeasured concentrations of Fe++ and Fe+3 inionized nebulae. We calculate a set of photoionization models, updatedwith the atomic data relevant to the problem, and compare their resultswith those derived for the available nebulae where both [Fe III] and [FeIV] lines have been measured. Our new model results are closer to themeasured values than the results of previous calculations, but adiscrepancy remains. This discrepancy translates into an uncertainty inthe derived Fe abundances of a factor of up to ~4. We explore thepossible causes of this discrepancy and find that errors in the Featomic data may be the most likely explanation. The discrepancy can befully accounted for by any of the following changes: (1) an increase bya factor of ~10 in the recombination rate (radiative plus dielectronic,or charge transfer) for Fe+3, (2) an increase by a factor of2-3 in the effective collision strengths for Fe++, or (3) adecrease by a factor of 2-3 in the effective collision strengths forFe+3. We derive the Fe abundances implied by these threeexplanations and use the results to constrain the degree of depletion ofFe in our sample nebulae. The Galactic H II regions and planetarynebulae are found to have high depletion factors, with less than 5% oftheir Fe atoms in the gas phase. The extragalactic H II regions (LMC 30Doradus, SMC N88A, and SBS 0335-052) have somewhat lower depletions. Themetal-deficient blue compact galaxy SBS 0335-052 could have from 13% to40% of Fe in the gas phase. The depletions derived for the differentobjects define a trend of increasing depletion at higher metallicities.
| The Chemical Composition of Galactic Planetary Nebulae with Regard to Inhomogeneity in the Gas Density in Their Envelopes
The results of a study of the chemical compositions of Galacticplanetary nebulae taking into account two types of inhomogeneity in thenebular gas density in their envelopes are reported. New analyticalexpressions for the ionization correction factors have been derived andare used to determine the chemical compositions of the nebular gas inGalactic planetary nebulae. The abundances of He, N, O, Ne, S, and Arhave been found for 193 objects. The Y Z diagrams for various Heabundances are analyzed for type II planetary nebulae separately andjointly with HII regions. The primordial helium abundance Y p andenrichment ratio dY/dZ are determined, and the resulting values arecompared with the data of other authors. Radial abundance gradients inthe Galactic disk are studied using type II planetary nebulae.
| A reexamination of electron density diagnostics for ionized gaseous nebulae
We present a comparison of electron densities derived from opticalforbidden line diagnostic ratios for a sample of over a hundred nebulae.We consider four density indicators, the [O II]λ3729/λ3726, [S II] λ6716/λ6731, [Cl III]λ5517/λ5537 and [Ar IV] λ4711/λ4740 doubletratios. Except for a few H II regions for which data from the literaturewere used, diagnostic line ratios were derived from our own high qualityspectra. For the [O II] λ3729/λ3726 doublet ratio, we findthat our default atomic data set, consisting of transition probabilitiesfrom Zeippen (\cite{zeippen1982}) and collision strengths from Pradhan(\cite{pradhan}), fit the observations well, although at high electrondensities, the [O II] doublet ratio yields densities systematicallylower than those given by the [S II] λ6716/λ6731 doubletratio, suggesting that the ratio of transition probabilities of the [OII] doublet, A(λ3729)/A(λ3726), given by Zeippen(\cite{zeippen1982}) may need to be revised upwards by approximately 6per cent. Our analysis also shows that the more recent calculations of[O II] transition probabilities by Zeippen (\cite{zeippen1987a}) andcollision strengths by McLaughlin & Bell (\cite{mclaughlin}) areinconsistent with the observations at the high and low density limits,respectively, and can therefore be ruled out. We confirm the earlierresult of Copetti & Writzl (\cite{copetti2002}) that the [O II]transition probabilities calculated by Wiese et al. (\cite{wiese}) yieldelectron densities systematically lower than those deduced from the [SII] λ6716/λ6731 doublet ratio and that the discrepancy ismost likely caused by errors in the transition probabilities calculatedby Wiese et al. (\cite{wiese}). Using our default atomic data set for [OII], we find that Ne([O II]) Ne([S II]) ≈Ne([Cl III])< Ne([Ar IV]).
| Planetary nebula distances re-examined: an improved statistical scale
The distances of planetary nebulae (PNe) are still quite uncertain.Although observational estimates are available for a small proportion ofPNe, based on statistical parallax and the like, such distances are verypoorly determined for the majority of galactic PNe. In particular,estimates of so-called `statistical' distance appear to differ byfactors of ~2.7.We point out that there is a well-defined correlation between the 5-GHzluminosity of the sources, L5, and their brightnesstemperatures, TB. This represents a different trend to thoseinvestigated in previous statistical analyses, and permits us todetermine independent distances to a further 449 outflows. Thesedistances are shown to be closely comparable to those determined using aTB-R correlation, providing that the latter trend is taken tobe non-linear.This non-linearity in the TB-R plane has not been noted inprevious analyses, and is likely responsible for the broad (andconflicting) ranges of distance that have previously been published.Finally, we point out that there is a close accord between observedtrends within the L5-TB and TB-Rplanes, and the variation predicted through nebular evolutionarymodelling. This is used to suggest that observational biases areprobably modest, and that our revised distance scale is reasonablytrustworthy.
| On the O II Ground Configuration Energy Levels
The most accurate way to measure the energy levels for the O II2p3 ground configuration has been from the forbidden lines inplanetary nebulae. We present an analysis of modern planetary nebuladata that nicely constrain the splitting within the 2D termand the separation of this term from the ground4S3/2 level. We extend this method to H II regionsusing high-resolution spectroscopy of the Orion Nebula, covering all sixvisible transitions within the ground configuration. These data confirmthe splitting of the 2D term while additionally constrainingthe splitting of the 2P term. The energies of the2P and 2D terms relative to the ground(4S) term are constrained by requiring that all six linesgive the same radial velocity, consistent with independent limits placedon the motion of the O+ gas and the planetary nebula data.
| A reanalysis of chemical abundances in galactic PNe and comparison with theoretical predictions
New determinations of chemical abundances for He, N, O, Ne, Ar and Sare derived for all galactic planetary nebulae (PNe) so far observedwith a relatively high accuracy, in an effort to overcome differences inthese quantities obtained over the years by different authors usingdifferent procedures. These include: ways to correct for interstellarextinction, the atomic data used to interpret the observed line fluxes,the model nebula adopted to represent real objects and the ionizationcorrections for unseen ions. A unique `good quality' classical-typeprocedure, i.e. making use of collisionally excited forbidden lines toderive ionic abundances of heavy ions, has been applied to allindividual sets of observed line fluxes in each specific position withineach PN. Only observational data obtained with linear detectors, andsatisfying some `quality' criteria, have been considered. Suchobservations go from the mid-1970s up to the end of 2001. Theobservational errors associated with individual line fluxes have beenpropagated through the whole procedure to obtain an estimate of theaccuracy of final abundances independent of an author's `prejudices'.Comparison of the final abundances with those obtained in relevantmulti-object studies on the one hand allowed us to assess the accuracyof the new abundances, and on the other hand proved the usefulness ofthe present work, the basic purpose of which was to take full advantageof the vast amount of observations done so far of galactic PNe, handlingthem in a proper homogeneous way. The number of resulting PNe that havedata of an adequate quality to pass the present selection amounts to131. We believe that the new derived abundances constitute a highlyhomogeneous chemical data set on galactic PNe, with realisticuncertainties, and form a good observational basis for comparison withthe growing number of predictions from stellar evolution theory. Owingto the known discrepancies between the ionic abundances of heavyelements derived from the strong collisonally excited forbidden linesand those derived from the weak, temperature-insensitive recombinationlines, it is recognized that only abundance ratios between heavyelements can be considered as satisfactorily accurate. A comparison withtheoretical predictions allowed us to assess the state of the art inthis topic in any case, providing some findings and suggestions forfurther theoretical and observational work to advance our understandingof the evolution of low- and intermediate-mass stars.
| A Survey for Water Maser Emission toward Planetary Nebulae: New Detection in IRAS 17347-3139
We report on a water maser survey toward a sample of 27 planetarynebulae (PNe) using the Robledo de Chavela and Medicina single-dishantennas, as well as the Very Large Array (VLA). Two detections havebeen obtained: the already known water maser emission in K3-35, and anew cluster of masers in IRAS 17347-3139. This low rate of detections iscompatible with the short lifetime of water molecules in PNe (~100 yr).The water maser cluster at IRAS 17347-3139 are distributed on a ellipseof size ~=0.2"×0.1", spatially associated with compact 1.3 cmcontinuum emission (simultaneously observed with the VLA). From archiveVLA continuum data at 4.9, 8.4, and 14.9 GHz, a spectral indexα=0.76+/-0.03 (Sν~να) is derivedfor this radio source, which is consistent with either a partiallyoptically thick ionized region or an ionized wind. However, the latterscenario can be ruled out by mass-loss considerations, thus indicatingthat this source is probably a young PN. The spatial distribution andthe radial velocities of the water masers are suggestive of a rotatingand expanding maser ring, tracing the innermost regions of a torusformed at the end of the asymptotic giant branch phase. Given that the1.3 cm continuum emission peak is located near one of the tips of themajor axis of the ellipse of masers, we speculate on a possible binarynature of IRAS 17347-3139, where the radio continuum emission couldbelong to one of the components and the water masers would be associatedwith a companion.
| [Fe IV] Emission in Ionized Nebulae
I present the results of an analysis of [Fe IV] emission in severalionized nebulae, which is based on new identifications and previousmeasurements of [Fe IV] lines. The Fe abundances obtained by adding theabundances of the relevant Fe ions (mainly Fe^++ and Fe^3+) are found tobe lower, by factors in the range 2.6-5.9, than the Fe abundancesimplied by [Fe III] emission and an ionization correction factor derivedfrom ionization models. The possible reasons behind this discrepancy arediscussed, as well as the implications it has for our understanding ofboth the evolution of dust in ionized nebulae and the chemical historyof low metallicity galaxies.
| The relation between Zanstra temperature and morphology in planetary nebulae
We have created a master list of Zanstra temperatures for 373 galacticplanetary nebulae based upon a compilation of 1575 values taken from thepublished literature. These are used to evaluate mean trends intemperature for differing nebular morphologies. Among the most prominentresults of this analysis is the tendency forη=TZ(HeII)/TZ(HeI) to increase with nebularradius, a trend which is taken to arise from the evolution of shelloptical depths. We find that as many as 87 per cent of nebulae may beoptically thin to H ionizing radiation where radii exceed ~0.16 pc. Wealso note that the distributions of values η and TZ(HeII)are quite different for circular, elliptical and bipolar nebulae. Acomparison of observed temperatures with theoretical H-burning trackssuggests that elliptical and circular sources arise from progenitorswith mean mass ≅ 1 Msolar(although the elliptical progenitors are probably more massive).Higher-temperature elliptical sources are likely to derive fromprogenitors with mass ≅2 Msolar, however, implying thatthese nebulae (at least) are associated with a broad swathe ofprogenitor masses. Such a conclusion is also supported by trends in meangalactic latitude. It is found that higher-temperature ellipticalsources have much lower mean latitudes than those with smallerTZ(HeII), a trend which is explicable where there is anincrease in with increasing TZ(HeII).This latitude-temperature variation also applies for most other sources.Bipolar nebulae appear to have mean progenitor masses ≅2.5Msolar, whilst jets, Brets and other highly collimatedoutflows are associated with progenitors at the other end of the massrange (~ 1 Msolar). Indeed it ispossible, given their large mean latitudes and low peak temperatures,that the latter nebulae are associated with the lowest-mass progenitorsof all.The present results appear fully consistent with earlier analyses basedupon nebular scale heights, shell abundances and the relativeproportions of differing morphologies, and offer further evidence for alink between progenitor mass and morphology.
| Galactic Planetary Nebulae and their central stars. I. An accurate and homogeneous set of coordinates
We have used the 2nd generation of the Guide Star Catalogue (GSC-II) asa reference astrometric catalogue to compile the positions of 1086Galactic Planetary Nebulae (PNe) listed in the Strasbourg ESO Catalogue(SEC), its supplement and the version 2000 of the Catalogue of PlanetaryNebulae. This constitutes about 75% of all known PNe. For these PNe, theones with a known central star (CS) or with a small diameter, we havederived coordinates with an absolute accuracy of ~0\farcs35 in eachcoordinate, which is the intrinsic astrometric precision of the GSC-II.For another 226, mostly extended, objects without a GSC-II counterpartwe give coordinates based on the second epoch Digital Sky Survey(DSS-II). While these coordinates may have systematic offsets relativeto the GSC-II of up to 5 arcsecs, our new coordinates usually representa significant improvement over the previous catalogue values for theselarge objects. This is the first truly homogeneous compilation of PNepositions over the whole sky and the most accurate one available so far.The complete Table \ref{tab2} is only available in electronic form atthe CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/408/1029}
| [Fe IV] Emission in Ionized Nebulae
This paper presents an analysis of [Fe IV] emission based on newidentifications and previous measurements of [Fe IV] lines in 30Doradus, IC 4846, M42, SMC N88A, and SBS 0335-052. The Fe abundancesobtained by adding the abundances of the relevant Fe ions (mainlyFe++ and Fe3+) are found to be lower, by factorsin the range 2.6-5.9, than the Fe abundances implied by [Fe III]emission and an ionization correction factor derived from ionizationmodels. The most likely explanation of this discrepancy is that eitherthe collision strengths for [Fe IV] or the Fe ionization fractionspredicted by models are unreliable. The available data allow one neitherto distinguish between these two possibilities nor to exclude anotherpossible explanation: that the discrepancy implies the presence of agradient in the Fe abundance within the ionized gas. Furthermeasurements of [Fe IV] lines and checks on the Fe3+ atomicdata and ionization models are needed to reach a definitive conclusion.The discrepancy introduces an uncertainty in the determination of Feabundances in ionized nebulae. This uncertainty has implications for ourunderstanding of both the evolution of dust in ionized nebulae and thechemical history of low-metallicity galaxies.
| The Kinematic Signature of a Binary Central Star in the Collimated Ejections of Planetary Nebulae
Binary stars are believed to be involved in some way in the formation ofmany collimated outflows observed in planetary nebulae. The directdetection of binary central stars is observationally difficult, so thatindirect methods offer an interesting alternative for inferring thepresence of a binary. It has been recently proposed that a differencebetween the systemic velocity of a collimated (bipolar) outflow and thatof the main shell is direct evidence for orbital motion. We present anddiscuss this method and show data of Hu2-1 and IC4846, two planetarynebulae with multiple collimated components, in which the aforementionedsystemic velocities clearly differ from each other. The orbitalparameters estimated in Hu2-1 and IC4846 are typical of interactingbinaries and suggest that the origin of the collimated outflows in thesetwo planetary nebulae is an accretion disk around a companion.
| Gas temperature and excitation classes in planetary nebulae
Empirical methods to estimate the elemental abundances in planetarynebulae usually use the temperatures derived from the [O III] and [N II]emission-line ratios, respectively, for the high- and low-ionizationzones. However, for a large number of objects these values may not beavailable. In order to overcome this difficulty and allow a betterdetermination of abundances, we discuss the relationship between thesetwo temperatures. Although a correlation is not easily seen when asample of different PNe types is used, the situation is improved whenthey are gathered into excitation classes. From [OII]/[OIII] andHeII/HeI line ratios, we define four excitation classes. Then, usingstandard photoionization models which fit most of the data, a linearrelation between the two temperatures is obtained for each of the fourexcitation classes. The method is applied to several objects for whichonly one temperature can be obtained from the observed emission linesand is tested by recalculation of the radial abundance gradient of theGalaxy using a larger number of PNe. We verified that our previousgradient results, obtained with a smaller sample of planetary nebulae,are not changed, indicating that the temperature relation obtained fromthe photoionization models are a good approximation, and thecorresponding statistical error decreases as expected. Tables 3-5, 7 and9 are only available in electronic form at http://www.edpsciences.org
| High Dispersion Spectra for Planetary Nebula Studies
The extremely complicated shapes of planetary nebulae revealed throughthe high resolution radio maps, direct imaging with the Hubble SpaceTelescope and observations with adaptive optics at large telescopes, aregreatly different from their imagined simplicity long ago. To addressthe complexity in physical conditions and geometries of planetarynebulae, one must secure spectra of high spatial resolution and highdispersion. It also may require a long exposure even with a largetelescopic aperture to reach faint features. We briefly review plasmadiagnostics and a diagnostic possibility of iron ions based on ourrecent high dispersion spectroscopic work.
| Study of electron density in planetary nebulae. A comparison of different density indicators
We present a comparison of electron density estimates for planetarynebulae based on different emission-line ratios. We have considered thedensity indicators [O Ii]lambda 3729/lambda 3726, [S Ii]lambda6716/lambda 6731, [Cl Iii]lambda 5517/lambda 5537, [Ar Iv]lambda4711/lambda 4740, C Iii]lambda 1906/lambda 1909 and [N I]lambda5202/lambda 5199. The observational data were extracted from theliterature. We have found systematic deviations from the densityhomogeneous models, in the sense that: Ne(ion {N}i) <~Ne(ion {O}{ii}) < Ne(ion {S}{ii}, ion {C}{iii},ion {Cl}{iii} or ion {Ar}{iv}) and Ne(ion {S}{ii}) ~Ne(ion {C}{iii}) ~ Ne(ion {Cl}{iii}) ~Ne(ion {Ar}{iv}). We argue that the lower [O Ii] densityestimates are likely due to errors in the atomic parameters used.
| Spectroscopic Observation of the Planetary Nebula IC 4846
A high-dispersion optical (3700-10100 Å) spectrum was secured withthe Hamilton echelle spectrograph at the coudé focus of the 120inch (3 m) Shane telescope at Lick Observatory, with the goal ofderiving chemical abundances for the compact planetary nebula IC 4846.We also remeasured the UV spectra from the IUE archive. Diagnosticsindicate that the entire planetary nebula may be represented by anelectron density Nɛ~=9000 cm-3 andelectron temperature Tɛ~=10,500 K. However,diagnostics seem to imply that the [O II] and [S II] zone electrontemperatures are higher than the [O III] radiating strata. The electrondensity of the [O II] and [S II] zone might be higher as well (for whichNɛ~=20,000 cm-3). The photoionizationmodel, which represents most of the observed line intensities, seems toconfirm this physical condition, although the actual situation may bemuch more complicated. On the basis of the semiempirical ionizationcorrection method and the photoionization model calculation, we derivedthe chemical abundances in this planetary nebula. Our optical data werecompared with the image-tube scanner data from Aller & Czyzak.Apparently, there is a long-term spectral line variation in IC 4846.Chemical abundances derived in the present study agree, within 30%, withthose previously estimated in Aller & Czyzak, except for carbon; theC, N, O, and Ne ratios are lower than both the average planetary nebulaand the solar abundance. IC 4846 is a metal-deficient planetary nebulathat may have evolved from a Population II progenitor.
| Collimated Fast Winds in Wide Binary Progenitors of Planetary Nebulae
We discuss the formation of planetary nebulae (PNs) having a pair oflobes, or multilobes, in their inner region, surrounded by an ellipticalor spherical shell or halo. Both elliptical and bipolar PNs areconsidered; when the lobes are much smaller than the main ellipticalshell, the PN is termed elliptical, while when the lobes are the mainstructure of the nebula, the PN is termed bipolar. We suggest that mostof these PNs are formed by wide binary systems with final orbitalperiods in the range of ~40-104 yr, such that there is nostrong tidal interaction. The outer, more spherical structure is formedfrom the early asymptotic giant branch (AGB) wind. Toward the end of theAGB, the mass-loss rate increases and wind velocity possibly decreases,making the conditions for the formation of an accretion disk around thewide companion more favorable. We assume that once a massive enoughaccretion disk is formed around the accreting companion, it blows jetsor a collimated fast wind, which leads to the formation of a pair oflobes in the inner region. In cases of a precessing accretion disk, amultilobe structure can be formed. We conduct a population synthesisstudy of such systems and find that overall ~5%-20% of all PNs areformed by such binary systems. The exact percentage strongly depends onthe wind velocities of stars about to leave the AGB. In about half ofthese systems, the initially more massive star is the AGB star and theaccretor is a main-sequence star, while in the other half the initiallyless massive star is the AGB star and it has a white dwarf accretor. Wealso estimate that ~20%-40% of these systems possess observabledeparture from axisymmetry; e.g., the central star is not in the centerof the nebula. Our population synthesis not only supports the binarymodel for formation of these types of PNs, e.g., Hu 2-1, He 2-113, He2-47, and M1-37, but more generally supports the binary model for theformation of bipolar and many elliptical PNs.
| Departure from Axisymmetry in Planetary Nebulae
Many planetary nebulae (PNs) exhibit symmetries that range fromunremarkable spherical and elliptical shapes to quite exotic bipolar andpoint-symmetric shapes. However, there are many that exhibit distinctlynonaxisymmetric structure in either (1) the shape of the nebula, or (2)the off-centered position of the illuminating star. By examining a largenumber of well-resolved images of PNs, we estimate that ~30%-50% of allPNs exhibit distinctly nonaxisymmetric structure. In this paper, wediscuss how such departures from axisymmetry can arise from the binarynature of the progenitors of the PNs. The scenarios include (1)relatively close binaries with eccentric orbits, and (2) longer orbitalperiod systems with either circular or eccentric orbits. In the firstmechanism, the departure from axisymmetry is caused by the variation ofmass loss and/or mass transfer with the changing distance between thecompanions in their eccentric orbit. In the second mechanism, thedeparture from axisymmetry is the result of the time-varying vectordirection of the mass-losing star, or that of a possible pair of jetsfrom the companion, as the stars move around their orbit. In order toassess the fraction of PNs whose nonaxisymmetric morphologies areexpected to arise in binary systems, we have carried out a detailedpopulation synthesis study. In this study, a large number of primordialbinaries are evolved through the lifetimes of both stars, including windmass loss. We then assess whether the primary or the secondary (or both)produces a PN. The expected deviations from axisymmetry are thenclassified for each binary and the results tabulated. We find that ~25%of elliptical and ~30%-50% of bipolar PNs are expected to acquirenonaxisymmetric structure from binary interactions.
| An analysis of the observed radio emission from planetary nebulae
We have analysed the radio fluxes for 264 planetary nebulae for whichreliable measurements of fluxes at 1.4 and 5 GHz, and of nebulardiameters are available. For many of the investigated nebulae, theoptical thickness is important, especially at 1.4 GHz. Simple modelslike the one specified only by a single optical thickness or spherical,constant density shells do not account satisfactorily for theobservations. Also an r-2 density distribution is ruled out.A reasonable representation of the observations can be obtained by atwo-component model having regions of two different values of opticalthickness. We show that the nebular diameters smaller than 10arcsec areuncertain, particularly if they come from photographic plates orGaussian fitting to the radio profile. While determining theinterstellar extinction from an optical to radio flux ratio, cautionshould be paid regarding optical thickness effects in the radio. We havedeveloped a method for estimating the value of self absorption. At 1.4GHz self absorption of the flux is usually important and can exceed afactor of 10. At 5 GHz self absorption is negligible for most of theobjects, although in some cases it can reach a factor of 2. The Galacticbulge planetary nebulae when used to calibrate the Shklovsky method givea mean nebular mass of 0.14 Msun. The statistical uncertaintyof the Shklovsky distances is smaller than a factor of 1.5. Table 1 isonly available in electronic form at http://www.edpsciences.org.
| Precessing collimated outflows in the planetary nebula IC 4846
We present [Nii] and Hα images and high-resolution long-slitspectra of the planetary nebula IC 4846, which reveal, for the firsttime, its complex structure and the existence of collimated outflows.The object consists of a moderately elongated shell, two (and probablythree) pairs of collimated bipolar outflows at different orientations,and an attached circular shell. One of the collimated pairs isconstituted by two curved, extended filaments the properties of whichindicate a high-velocity, bipolar precessing jet. A difference of~=10kms-1 is found between the systemic velocity of theprecessing jets and the centroid velocity of the nebula, as recentlyreported for Hu 2-1. We propose that this difference is as a result oforbital motion of the ejection source in a binary central star. Theorbital separation of <=30au and period <=100yr estimated for thebinary are similar to those in Hu 2-1, linking the central stars of bothplanetary nebulae to interacting binaries. Extraordinary similaritiesalso exist between IC 4846 and the bewildering planetary nebula NGC6543, suggesting a similar formation history for both objects.
| Gravity distances of planetary nebulae II. Aplication to a sample of galactic objects.
Not Available
| The dust content of planetary nebulae: a reappraisal
We have performed a statistical analysis using broad band IRAS data onabout 500 planetary nebulae with the aim of characterizing their dustcontent. Our approach is different from previous studies in that it usesan extensive grid of photoionization models to test the methods forderiving the dust temperature, the dust-to-gas mass ratio and theaverage grain size. In addition, we use only distance independentdiagrams. With our models, we show the effect of contamination by atomiclines in the broad band IRAS fluxes during planetary nebula evolution.We find that planetary nebulae with very different dust-to-gas massratios exist, so that the dust content is a primordial parameter for theinterpretation of far infrared data of planetary nebulae. In contrastwith previous studies, we find no evidence for a decrease in thedust-to-gas mass ratio as the planetary nebulae evolve. We also showthat the decrease in grain size advocated by Natta & Panagia(\cite{NattaPanagia}) and Lenzuni et al. (\cite{Lenzuni}) is an artefactof their method of analysis. Our results suggest that the timescale fordestruction of dust grains in planetary nebulae is larger than theirlifetime. Table~1 is only accessible in electronic form at the CDS viaanonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html
| Infrared Planetary Nebulae in the NRAO VLA Sky Survey
In order to construct a sample of planetary nebulae (PNe) unbiased bydust extinction, we first selected the 1358 sources in the IRAS PointSource Catalog north of J2000 declination delta=-40^deg having measuredS(25 μm)>=1 Jy and colors characteristic of PNe: detections orupper limits consistent with both S(12 μm)<=0.35S(25 μm) andS(25 μm)>=0.35S(60 μm). The majority are radio-quietcontaminating sources such as asymptotic giant branch stars. Free-freeemission from genuine PNe should make them radio sources. The 1.4 GHzNRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) images and source catalog were used to rejectradio-quiet mid-infrared sources. We identified 454 IRAS sources withradio sources brighter than S~2.5 mJy beam^-1 (equivalent to T~0.8 K inthe 45" FHWM NVSS beam) by positional coincidence. They comprise 332known PNe in the Strasbourg-ESO Catalogue of Galactic Planetary Nebulaeand 122 candidate PNe, most of which lie at very low Galactic latitudes.Exploratory optical spectroscopic observations suggest that most ofthese candidates are indeed PNe optically dimmed by dust extinction,although some contamination remains from H II regions, Seyfert galaxies,etc. Furthermore, the NVSS failed to detect only 4% of the known PNe inour infrared sample. Thus it appears that radio selection can greatlyimprove the reliability of PN candidate samples withoutsacrificingcompleteness.
| A Survey of Planetary Nebulae in the Southern Galactic Bulge
We present the results of a deep and uniform narrowband Hα imagingsurvey for planetary nebulae (PNs) in the southern Galactic bulge. Inour survey, we have found 56 new PNs and have rediscovered 45 known PNs.We have measured the radial velocities of this uniformly selected sampleand have also remeasured radial velocities for a subset of 317 PNs fromthe Acker catalog. Using the COBE/DIRBE 1.25, 2.2, and 3.5 μm images,we show that there is a similar longitude distribution of the PNs andthe COBE light in the zone of our deep survey. Also, we find that theextinction in our surveyed fields is not severe and that itsdistribution is fairly uniform. Finally, we present Hα fluxes for47 of our 56 newly discovered PNs and estimate the survey detectionlimit.
| Electron densities in planetary nebulae, and the unusual characteristics of the [S BT II] emission zone} ] densities in planetary nebulae
We investigate the radial variation of electron densities in planetarynebulae, using values of ne deriving from the [S ii]<~mbda6717/<~mbda6730 line ratio. As a result, we are able to showthat there is a sharp discontinuity in densities of order 1.4 dex closeto nebular radii R=0.1 pc. It is proposed, as a consequence, that mostnebulae contain two primary [S ii] emission zones, with densitiesdiffering by a factor ~ 10(2) . The intensity of emission from thedenser component increases by an order of magnitude where nebulae passfrom radiation to density-bound expansion regimes, resulting in acorresponding discontinuous jump in [S ii]/Hβ line ratios. Theorigins of these changes are not entirely clear, although one mechanismis investigated whereby the superwind outflows shock interact withexterior AGB envelopes. Finally, the derived trends in ne(R)are used to determine distances for a further 262 nebulae. The resultingdistance scale appears to be comparable to that of Daub (1982) and Cahnet al. (1992).
| The kinematics of 867 galactic planetary nebulae
We present a compilation of radial velocities of 867 galactic planetarynebulae. Almost 900 new measurements are included. Previously publishedkinematical data are compared with the new high-resolution data toassess their accuracies. One of the largest samples in the literatureshows evidence for a systematic velocity offset. We calculate weightedaverages between all available data. Of the final values in thecatalogue, 90% have accuracies better than 20 km s(-1) . We use thiscompilation to derive kinematical parameters of the galacticdifferential rotation obtained from least-square fitting and toestablish the Disk rotation curve; we find no significal trend for thepresence of an increasing external rotation curve. We examine also therotation of the bulge; the derived curve is consistent with a linearlyincreasing rotation velocity with l: we find V_b,r=(9.9+/-1.3)l -(6.7+/-8.5) km s(-1) . A possible steeper gradient in the innermostregion is indicated. Table 2 is available in electronic form only, viaanonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html
| Planetary Nebulae in the NRAO VLA Sky Survey
The 1.4 GHz NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) images and source catalog wereused to detect radio emission from the 885 planetary nebulae north ofJ2000 declination delta = -40 deg in the Strasbourg-ESO Catalogue ofGalactic Planetary Nebulae. We identified 680 radio sources brighterthan about S = 2.5 mJy beam-1 (equivalent to T ~ 0.8 K in the 45" FWHMNVSS beam) with planetary nebulae by coincidence with accurate opticalpositions measured from Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) images. Totalextinction coefficients c at lambda = 4861 Angstroms were calculated forthe 429 planetary nebulae with available H beta fluxes and low free-freeoptical depths at 1.4 GHz. The variation of c with Galactic latitude andlongitude is consistent with the extinction being primarily interstellarand not intrinsic.
| A self-consistent determination of distances, physical parameters, and chemical composition for a large sample of galactic planetary nebulae: chemical composition
The relative abundances of He, C, N, O, Ne, Mg, Si, S, and Ar arepresented for, respectively, 185, 65, 212, 221, 180, 13, 41, 197, and205 Galactic planetary nebulae. The observed stages of ionization weretaken into account using the relations between the relative abundancesof different ions derived from a grid of photoionization models for thenebular emission. The chemical compositions of all the planetary nebulaewere determined using the same method and the same atomic data, so thatthe results have a high degree of uniformity; this is the first timethis has been done for such a large sample of Galactic planetary nebulae(221 objects).
|
Submit a new article
Related links
Submit a new link
Member of following groups:
|
Observation and Astrometry data
Catalogs and designations:
|
