We present images of the planetary nebulae (PNe) NGC 7354 and NGC 3242 in four mid-infrared (MIR) photometric bands centred at 3.6, 4.5, 5.8 and 8.0 microns; the results of observations undertaken using the Spitzer Space Telescope (SST). The resulting images show the presence of a halo and rings in NGC 3242, as previously observed through narrow band imaging at visual wavelengths, as well as evidence for a comparable halo and ring system in NGC 7354. This is the first time that a halo and rings have been observed in the latter source.
We have analysed the formation of halos as a result of radiatively accelerated mass loss in the AGB progenitors. Although the models assume that dust formation occurs in C-rich environments, we note that qualitatively similar results would be expected for O-rich progenitors as well. The model fall-offs in halo density are found to result in gradients in halo surface brightness which are similar to those observed in the visible and MIR.
The understanding of astronomical nebulae is based on observational data (images, spectra, 3D data-cubes) and theoretical models. In this review, I present my very biased view on photoionization modeling of planetary nebulae, focusing on 1D multi-component models, on 3D models and on big database of models.
We have used the Wide Field Spectrograph on the Australian National University 2.3-m telescope to perform the integral field spectroscopy for a sample of the Galactic planetary nebulae. The spatially resolved velocity distributions of the H$α$ emission line were used to determine the kinematic features and nebular orientations. Our findings show that some bulge planetary nebulae toward the Galactic center have a particular orientation.
We carefully consider numerous explanations for the sulfur abundance anomaly in planetary nebulae. No one rationale appears to be satisfactory, and we suggest that the ultimate explanation is likely to be a heretofore unidentified feature of the nebular gas which significantly impacts the sulfur ionization correction factor.
We present first results from the analysis of a sample of 14 planetary nebulae with [WC] nucleus with detected faint carbon and oxygen recombination lines (RLs). The results are based on deep echelle spectra obtained with MIKE on the 6.5 m Magellan-Clay telescope in Chile.
Since the first detection of intracluster planetary nebulae in 1996, imaging and spectroscopic surveys identified such stars to trace the radial extent and the kinematics of diffuse light in clusters. This topic of research is tightly linked with the studies of galaxy formation and evolution in dense environment, as the spatial distribution and kinematics of planetary nebulae in the outermost regions of galaxies and in the cluster cores is relevant for setting constraints on cosmological simulations. In this sense, extragalactic planetary nebulae play a very important role in the near-field co…
The San Pedro Mártir kinematic catalogue of galactic planetary nebulae provides spatially resolved, long-slit Echelle spectra for about 600 planetary nebulae. The data are presented wavelength calibrated and corrected for heliocentric motion. For most objects multiple spectra have been acquired and images with accurate slit positions on the nebulae are also presented for each object. This is the most extensive and homogeneous single source of data concerning the internal kinematics of the ionized nebular material in planetary nebulae. Data can be retrieved for individual objects or selected by…
Some authors have proposed that electron energy distributions in H II regions and planetary nebulae may be significantly nonthermal, and kappa-distributions have been suggested as being appropriate. Here it is demonstrated that the electron energy distribution function is extremely close to a Maxwellian up to electron kinetic energies ~13 eV in HII regions, and up to ~16eV in planetary nebulae: kappa-distributions are inappropriate. The small departures from a Maxwellian have negligible effects on line ratios. When observed line ratios in H II regions deviate from models with a single electron…
We estimate distances to the spherical planetary nebula Abell 39 and the bipolar planetary nebula NGC 7027 by interpolating from a wide grid of photoionization models using the 3-D code, MOCASSIN. We find preliminary distances of 1.5 kpc and 0.9 kpc respectively, with uncertainties of about 30%.
We analyse a large sample of galactic planetary nebulae based on their chemical composition and morphology. A recent morphological classification system is adopted, and several elements are considered, namely He, N, O, S, Ar, Ne, and C in order to investigate the correlations involving these elements and the different PN types. Special emphasis is given to the differences between symmetric (round or elliptical) nebulae and those that present some degree of asymmetry (bipolars or bipolar core objects). The results are compared with previous findings both for PN in the Galaxy and in the Magellan…
We investigate the variations of the radial O/H abundance gradients from planetary nebulae (PN) located at different distances from the galactic plane. In particular, we determine the abundance gradients at different heights from the plane in order to investigate a possible gradient inversion for the objects at larger distances from the plane. We consider a large sample of PN with known distances, so that the height relative to the galactic plane can be derived, and accurate abundances, so that the gradients can be determined.
We have obtained spectra of 16 planetary nebulae in the disk of M31 and determined the abundances of He, N, O, Ne, S and Ar. Here we present the median abundances and compare them with previous M31 PN disk measurements and with PNe in the Milky Way. We also derive the radial oxygen gradient in M31, which is shallower than that in the Milky Way, even accounting for M31's larger disk scale length.
Context. There are more than 3000 true and probable known Galactic Planetary Nebulae (PNe), but only for 13% of them there is central star spectroscopic information available. Aims. To contribute to the knowledge of central stars of planetary nebulae and star evolution. Methods. We undertook a spectroscopic survey of central stars of PNe in low resolution and compiled a large list of central stars for which information was dispersed in the literature. Results. We complete a catalogue of 492 true and probable CSPN and we provide a preliminary spectral classification for 45 central star of PNe, …
The study of planetary nebulae in the inner-disk and bulge gives important information on the chemical abundances of elements such as He, N, O, Ar, Ne, and on the evolution of these abundances, which is associated with the evolution of intermediate-mass stars and the chemical evolution of the Galaxy. We present accurate abundances of the elements He, N, S, O, Ar, and Ne for a sample of 54 planetary nebulae located towards the bulge of the Galaxy, for which 33 have the abundances derived for the first time. The abundances are derived based on observations in the optical domain made at the Natio…
Close binary interactions perform a key role in the formation and shaping of planetary nebulae. However only a small fraction of Galactic planetary nebulae are known to host close binary systems. Many such systems are detectable through photometric variability. We searched recently published epoch photometry data from Gaia DR3 for planetary nebula central stars with periodic photometric variability indicative of binarity, uncovering four previously unknown close binaries.
Premise: This report is intended to provide useful background and information on how we find detect and compile Planetary Nebulae PNe candidates and then verify them. It is for postgraduate students entering the field and for more general interest too.
We investigate Galactic bulge planetary nebulae without emission-line central stars for which peculiar infrared spectra have been obtained with the Spitzer Space Telescope, including the simultaneous signs of oxygen and carbon based dust. Three separate sub-groups can be defined characterized by the different chemical composition of the dust and the presence of crystalline and amorphous silicates. We find that the classification based on the dust properties is reflected in the more general properties of these planetary nebulae. However, some observed properties are difficult to relate to the c…
Current Unsolved Problems in Planetary Nebulae Research
University of British Columbia（不列颠哥伦比亚大学）；Laboratory for Space Research, University of Hong Kong（香港大学太空研究所）；University of Washington（华盛顿大学）；National Sun Yat Sen University（国立中山大学）；Valpariso University（瓦尔帕莱索大学）；Instituto de Astronomía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México（墨西哥国立自治大学天文学研究所）；Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology（加州理工学院喷气推进实验室）；Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Manchester（曼彻斯特大学物理与天文学院乔德雷尔银行天体物理学中心）
Planetary nebulae (PNe) were expected to be filled with hot pressurized gas driving their expansion. ROSAT hinted at the presence of diffuse X-ray emission from these hot bubbles and detected the first sources of hard X-ray emission from their central stars, but it was not until the advent of Chandra and XMM-Newton that we became able to study in detail their occurrence and physical properties. Here I review the progress in the X-ray observations of PNe since the first WORKshop for PLAnetary Nebulae observationS (WORKPLANS) and present the perspective for future X-ray missions with particular …
The spectral region between 1250 Angstroms - 3000 Angstroms contains important spectral lines to understand the morphological structures and evolution of planetary nebulae. This is the region sampled by UVIT through various filter bands both in the continuum and in emission lines (e.g. C IV, He I, Mg II etc.). We have mapped several planetary nebulae with different characteristics, ranging in morphology from bipolar to wide and diffuse, and in various states of ionization, comparing the UV with the x-ray morphologies wherever the x-ray images were also available. The major unanticipated discov…
The populations of bright planetary nebulae in the discs of spirals appear to differ in their spectral properties from those in ellipticals and the bulges of spirals. The bright planetary nebulae from the bulge of the Milky Way are entirely compatible with those observed in the discs of spiral galaxies. The similarity might be explained if the bulge of the Milky Way evolved secularly from the disc, in which case the bulge should be regarded as a pseudo-bulge.
We present observations of planetary nebulae with the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) between 120 and 168 MHz. The images show thermal free-free emission from the nebular shells. We have determined the electron temperatures for spatially resolved, optically thick nebulae. These temperatures are 20 to 60% lower than those estimated from collisionally excited optical emission lines. This strongly supports the existence of a cold plasma component, which co-exists with hot plasma in planetary nebulae. This cold plasma does not contribute to the collisionally excited lines, but does contribute to recom…
We present a detailed comparative study of the arcs and fragmented ring-like features in the haloes of the planetary nebulae (PNe) NGC 6543, NGC 7009, and NGC 7027 and the spiral pattern around the carbon star AFGL 3068 using high-quality multi-epoch HST images. This comparison allows us to investigate the connection and possible evolution between the regular patterns surrounding AGB stars and the irregular concentric patterns around PNe. The radial proper motion of these features, ~15 km/s, are found to be consistent with the AGB wind and their linear sizes and inter-lapse times (500-1900 yr)…
We present the results of initial spectrographic followup with the Very Large Telescope (UT3, Melipal) for $K_s \ge 14$ Galactic plane CIV emission-line candidates in the near-infrared (NIR). These 7 faint stars all display prominent HeI and CIV emission lines characteristic of a carbon-rich Wolf-Rayet star. They have NIR colours which are much too blue to be those of distant, classical WR stars. The magnitudes and colours are compatible with those expected for central stars of planetary nebulae, and are likely to come from massive progenitor populations, and themselves be more massive than an…
Planetary nebulae are traditionally considered to represent the final evolutionary stage of all intermediate-mass stars ($\sim$0.7-8Msol). Recent evidence seems to contradict this picture. In particular, since the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope it has become clear that planetary nebulae display a wide range of striking morphologies which cannot be understood in a single star scenario, instead pointing towards a binary evolution in a majority of systems. Here, we summarise our current understanding of the importance of binarity in the formation and shaping of planetary nebulae, as well as…
Planetary nebulae are the products of the evolution of low and intermediate mass stars. The chemical property studies of these objects give important information about the elemental abundances as He, O, Ne, Ar, S and their modifications associated with the evolution of the progenitor stars. The determination of accurate abundances in planetary nebulae is important from the perspective of the stellar evolution as well as the formation and chemical evolution of galaxies. Recently, new HeI emissivities and ionization correction factors (ICFs) were published in the literature. In this work, these …
Deep spectrophotometry has proved to be a fundamental tool to improve our knowledge on the chemical content of planetary nebulae. With the arrival of very efficient spectrographs installed in the largest ground-based telescopes, outstanding spectra have been obtained. These data are essential to constrain state-of-the-art nucleosynthesis models in asymptotic giant branch stars and, in general, to understand the chemical evolution of our Galaxy. In this paper we review the last advances on the chemical composition of the ionized gas in planetary nebulae based on faint emission lines observed th…
Radio continuum observations trace thermal emission of ionized plasma in planetary nebulae and bring useful information on nebular geometries. A model of homogeneous sphere or shell cannot fit the nebular spectra and brightness temperatures. Two alternative models have been proposed in the literature: the first one consists of two homogeneous components, while the other one is a model of a shell with a significant radial density gradient. On the other side, prolate ellipsoidal shell model can successfully fit the surface brightness distribution of selected objects. We verify the existing model…
The study of the chemical composition of Planetary Nebulae in external galaxies is of paramount importance in the fields of stellar evolution and of the chemical enrichment history of galaxies. In the last years a number of spectroscopic studies with 6-8m-class telescopes have been devoted to this subject improving our knowledge of, among other, the time-evolution of the radial metallicity gradient in disk galaxies, the chemical evolution of dwarf galaxies, and the stellar evolution at low metallicity.
We construct \HI~absorption spectra for 18 planetary nebulae (PNe) and their background sources using the data from the International Galactic Plane Survey. We estimate the kinematic distances of these PNe, among which 15 objects' kinematic distances are obtained for the first time. The distance uncertainties of 13 PNe range from 10% to 50%, which is a significant improvement with uncertainties of a factor two or three smaller than most of previous distance measurements. We confirm that PN G030.2-00.1 is not a PN because of its large distance found here.
We present a tutorial on the determination of the physical conditions and chemical abundances in gaseous nebulae. We also include a brief review of recent results on the study of gaseous nebulae, their relevance for the study of stellar evolution, galactic chemical evolution, and the evolution of the universe. One of the most important problems in abundance determinations is the existence of a discrepancy between the abundances determined with collisionally excited lines and those determined by recombination lines, this is called the ADF (abundance discrepancy factor) problem; we review result…
Iron suffers from high levels of depletion in the highly ionized environments of planetary nebulae, making the direct determination of undepleted elemental iron abundances difficult. Zinc, which does not suffer from the same depletion effects as iron, may be used as a surrogate element to measure iron abundances as there is an approximately constant zinc-to-iron ratio across a wide range of metallicities. In this paper, we report zinc abundances of six Galactic Bulge planetary nebulae determined from new observations taken with ISAAC on the Very Large Telescope, Chile, prior to the instrument'…
Nearly 50 years ago, in the proceedings of the first IAU symposium on planetary nebulae, Lawrence H. Aller and Stanley J. Czyzak said that "the problem of determination of the chemical compositions of planetary and other gaseous nebulae constitutes one of the most exasperating problems in astrophysics". Although the situation has greatly improved over the years, many important problems are still open and new questions have arrived to the field, which still is an active field of study. Here I will review some of the main aspects related to the determination of gaseous abundances in PNe and some…
We present kinematic data for 211 bright planetary nebulae in eleven Local Group galaxies: M31 (137 PNe), M32 (13), M33 (33), Fornax (1), Sagittarius (3), NGC 147 (2), NGC 185 (5), NGC 205 (9), NGC 6822 (5), Leo A (1), and Sextans A (1). The data were acquired at the Observatorio Astronómico Nacional in the Sierra de San Pedro Mártir using the 2.1m telescope and the Manchester Echelle Spectrometer in the light of [\ion{O}{3}]$λ$5007 at a resolution of 11 km/s. A few objects were observed in H$α$. The internal kinematics of bright planetary nebulae do not depend strongly upon the metallicity or…
This review provides useful background and information on how we find, vet and compile Planetary Nebulae (PNe) candidates and verify them. It presents a summary of the known Galactic PNe population and their curation in the Hong Kong/AAO/Strasbourg/H-alpha PNe catalogue, HASH. It is a simple introduction for anyone interested in working with PNe, including postgraduate students entering the field and for more general interest too.
We present high resolution spectroscopy in the [\ion{O}{3}]$λ$5007 and H$α$ lines of bright planetary nebulae in the Milky Way bulge and the dwarf galaxies M32, Fornax, Sagittarius, and NGC 6822 obtained at the Observatorio Astronomico Nacional in the Sierra San Pedro Martir using the Manchester Echelle Spectrograph. We use the high signal-to-noise (S/N) observations of Milky Way bulge planetary nebulae to explore what kinematic information can be determined reliably when observing extragalactic planetary nebulae in the [\ion{O}{3}]$λ$5007 line at modest S/N. We find that the intrinsic line wi…
The Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) is a large integral field unit mounted on the ESO Very Large Telescope. Its spatial (60 arcsecond field) and wavelength (4800-9300A) coverage is well suited to detailed imaging spectroscopy of extended planetary nebulae, such as in the Galaxy. An overview of the capabilities of MUSE applied to planetary nebulae (PNe) is provided together with the specific advantages and disadvantages. Some examples of archival MUSE observations of PNe are provided. MUSE datacubes for two targets (NGC 3132 and NGC 7009) have been analysed in detail and they are used …
