We report a multi-wavelength study of two evolved planetary nebulae (PNs) M 2-55 and Abell 2. Deep optical narrow-band images ([O III], H?, and [N II]) of M 2-55 reveal two pairs of bipolar lobes and a new faint arc-like structure. This arc-shaped filament around M 2-55 appears a well-defined boundary from southwest to southeast, strongly suggesting that this nebula is in interaction with its surrounding interstellar medium. From the imaging data of Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) all-sky survey, we discovered extensive mid-infrared halos around these PNs, which are approximately twice larger than their main nebulae seen in the visible. We also present a mid-resolution optical spectrum of M 2-55, which shows that it is a high-excitation evolved PN with a low electron density of 250 cm^-3. Furthermore, we investigate the properties of these nebulae from their spectral energy distributions (SEDs) by means of archival data.
Eight planetary nebulae have been identified as `born-again', a class of object typified by knotty secondary ejecta having low masses ($\sim$$10^{-4}$ M$_{\odot}$) with nearly no hydrogen. Abell 30, the archetype of the class, also belongs to a small subset of planetary nebulae that exhibit extreme abundance discrepancy factors (where Abell 30 is the most extreme), a phenomenon strongly linked to binary star interactions. We report the presence of light curve brightness variations having a period of 1.060 days that are highly suggestive of a binary central star in Abell 30. If confirmed, this …
The long-standing difference in chemical abundances determined from optical recombination lines and collisionally excited lines raises questions about our understanding of atomic physics, as well as the assumptions made when determining physical conditions and chemical abundances in astrophysical nebulae. Here, we study the recombination contribution of [O III] 4363 and the validity of the line ratio [O III] 4363/4959 as a temperature diagnostic in planetary nebulae with a high abundance discrepancy. We derive a fit for the recombination coefficient of [O III] 4363 that takes into account the …
We present narrow-band Halpha and [OIII] images, and high-resolution, long-slit spectra of the planetary nebulae (PNe) Abell36, DeHt2, and RWT152 aimed at studying their morphology and internal kinematics. These data are complemented with intermediate-resolution, long-slit spectra to describe the spectral properties of the central stars and nebulae. The morphokinematical analysis shows that Abell36 consists of an inner spheroid and two bright point-symmetric arcs; DeHt2 is elliptical with protruding polar regions and a bright non-equatorial ring; and RWT152 is bipolar. The formation of Abell36…
A growing number of close binary stars are being discovered among central stars of planetary nebulae. Recent and ongoing surveys are finding new systems and contributing to our knowledge of the evolution of close binary systems. The push to find more systems was largely based on early discoveries which suggested that 10 to 15% of all central stars are close binaries. One goal of this series of papers is confirmation and classification of these systems as close binaries and determination of binary system parameters. Here we provide time-resolved multi-wavelength photometry of the central star o…
Stellar post asymptotic giant branch (post-AGB) evolution can be completely altered by a final thermal pulse (FTP) which may occur when the star is still leaving the AGB (AFTP), at the departure from the AGB at still constant luminosity (late TP, LTP) or after the entry to the white-dwarf cooling sequence (very late TP, VLTP). Then convection mixes the He-rich material with the H-rich envelope. According to stellar evolution models the result is a star with a surface composition of $\mathrm{H}\approx\,20\,$% by mass (AFTP), $\approx 1\,$% (LTP), or (almost) no H (VLTP). Since FTP stars exhibit…
For three nebulae that have early-WN Wolf-Rayet exciting stars, NGC 6888, WR 8 and Abell 48, we have obtained Herschel-PACS line scans of the [N III] 57 um and [O III] 88 micron lines, along with the 122 and 205 micron lines of [N II]. From the former two lines we have derived N$^{2+}$/O$^{2+}$ abundance ratios, equal to the overall N/O ratio under a wide range of nebular conditions. We find that all of the nebulae observed possess significant nitrogen enrichment, with derived N/O ratios greater than solar. The two nebulae with massive Wolf-Rayet exciting stars, NGC 6888 and WR8 are found to h…
Abell 14 is a poorly studied object despite being considered a born again planetary nebula. We performed a detailed study of its 3D morphology and ionization structure using the SHAPE and MOCASSIN codes. We found that Abell 14 is a highly evolved, bipolar nebula with a kinematical age of $\sim$19,400 yr for a distance of 4 kpc. The high He abundance, and N/O ratio indicate a progenitor of 5 $M_{\odot}$ that has experienced the third dredge-up and hot bottom burning phases. The stellar parameters of the central source reveal a star at a highly evolved stage near to the white dwarf cooling track…
The discrepancy between abundances computed using optical recombination lines (ORLs) and collisionally excited lines (CELs) is a major unresolved problem in nebular astrophysics. We show here that the largest abundance discrepancies are reached in planetary nebulae with close binary central stars. This is illustrated by deep spectroscopy of three nebulae with a post common-envelope (CE) binary star. Abell 46 and Ou5 have O++/H+ abundance discrepancy factors larger than 50, and as high as 300 in the inner regions of Abell 46. Abell 63 has a smaller discrepancy factor around 10, but still above …
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 study the line widths in the [\ion{O}{3}]$λ$5007 and H$α$ lines for two groups of planetary nebulae in the Milky Way bulge based upon spectroscopy obtained at the Observatorio Astronómico Nacional in the Sierra San Pedro Mártir (OAN-SPM) using the Manchester Echelle Spectrograph. The first sample includes objects early in their evolution, having high H$β$ luminosities, but [\ion{O}{3}]$λ5007/\mathrm Hβ< 3$. The second sample comprises objects late in their evolution, with \ion{He}{2} $λ4686/\mathrm Hβ> 0.5$. These planetary nebulae represent evolutionary phases preceeding and following thos…
We have selected a group of 100 evolved planetary nebulae (PNe) and study their kinematics based upon spatially-resolved, long-slit, echelle spectroscopy. The data have been drawn from the San Pedro Mártir Kinematic Catalogue of PNe (López et al. 2012). The aim is to characterize in detail the global kinematics of PNe at advanced stages of evolution with the largest sample of homogenous data used to date for this purpose. The results reveal two groups that share kinematics, morphology, and photo-ionization characteristics of the nebular shell and central star luminosities at the different late…
Massive evolved stars loss a large fraction of their mass via copious stellar wind or instant outbursts and during certain evolutionary phases they can be identified via the presence of their circumstellar nebulae. In this paper, we present the results of search for compact nebulae (reminiscent of circumstellar nebulae around evolved massive stars) using archival 24 $μ$m data obtained with the Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer. We discovered 115 nebulae, most of which bear a striking resemblance to the circumstellar nebulae associated with Luminous Blue Variables (LBVs) and late WN-type…
We present the first detailed spatio-kinematical analysis and modelling of the planetary nebula Abell 41, which is known to contain the well-studied close-binary system MT Ser. This object represents an important test case in the study of the evolution of planetary nebulae with binary central stars as current evolutionary theories predict that the binary plane should be aligned perpendicular to the symmetry axis of the nebula. Deep narrowband imaging in the light of [NII], [OIII] and [SII], obtained using ACAM on the William Herschel Telescope, has been used to investigate the ionisation struc…
Abundances of planetary nebulae and evolved stars: Iron and sulfur depletion, and carbon and nitrogen enrichment, in low- and intermediate-mass stellar populations in the Milky Way
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 an infrared (IR) characterization of the born-again planetary nebulae (PNe) A30 and A78 using IR images and spectra. We demonstrate that the carbon-rich dust in A30 and A78 is spatially coincident with the H-poor ejecta and coexists with hot X-ray-emitting gas up to distances of 50$''$ from the central stars (CSPNs). Dust forms immediately after the born-again event and survives for 1000 yr in the harsh environment around the CSPN as it is destroyed and pushed away by radiation pressure and dragged by hydrodynamical effects. Spitzer IRS spectral maps showed that the broad spectral f…
We present a new approach to study planetary nebulae using integral field spectroscopy. VLT@VIMOS datacube of the planetary nebula Abell 14 is analysed in three different ways by extracting: (i) the integrated spectrum, (ii) 1-dimensional simulated long slit spectra for different position angles and (iii) spaxel-by-spaxel spectra. These data are used to built emission-line diagnostic diagrams and explore the ionization structure and excitation mechanisms combining data from 1- and 3- dimensional photoionization models. The integrated and 1D simulated spectra are suitable for developing diagnos…
We report a multi-wavelength study of four new planetary nebula (PN) candidates selected from the INT/WFC Photometric Ha Survey of the Northern Galactic Plane (IPHAS) and Deep Sky Hunter (DSH) catalogues. We present mid-resolution optical spectra of these PNs. The PN status of our sample was confirmed by optical narrow-band images and mid-resolution spectra. Based on the locations of these objects in the log (Ha/[N II]) versus log (Ha/[S II]) diagnostic diagram, we conclude that these sources are evolved lowexcitation PNs. The optical and infrared appearances of these newly discovered PNs are …
Due to thermal pulses, asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars experience periods of convective mixing that provide ideal conditions for slow neutron-capture nucleosynthesis. These processes are affected by large uncertainties and are still not fully understood. By the lucky coincidence that about a quarter of all post-AGB stars turn hydrogen-deficient in a final flash of the helium-burning shell, they display nuclear processed material at the surface providing an unique insight to nucleosynthesis and mixing. We present results of non-local thermodynamic equilibrium spectral analyses of the extrem…
This chapter reviews some of the expected contributions of the ngVLA to the understanding of the late evolutionary stages of low-to-intermediate mass stars, including asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, post-AGB stars, and pre-planetary nebulae. Such objects represent the ultimate fate of stars like the Sun, and the stellar matter they lose to their immediate vicinity contributes significantly to the chemical enrichment of galaxies. Topics addressed in this chapter include continuum imaging of radio photospheres, studies of circumstellar envelopes in both thermal and nonthermal lines, and the…
We present Herschel PACS and SPIRE images of the dust shells around the planetary nebulae NGC 650, NGC 6853, and NGC 6720, as well as images showing the dust temperature in their shells. The latter shows a rich structure, which indicates that internal extinction in the UV is important despite the highly evolved status of the nebulae.
The recent high angular resolution observations have shown that the transition between a globally symmetrical giant and a source surrounded by a spatially complex environment occurs relatively early, as soon as the external layers of the stars are not tightly bound to the core of the star anymore. In this review, the emphasis will be put on the delineating the differences between the torus and disk classification through the presentation of many examples of near-IR and mid-IR high angular resolution observations. These examples cover the disks discovered in the core of some bipolar nebulae, po…
We present the first detailed spatio-kinematical analysis and modelling of the planetary nebula Abell~41, which is known to contain the well-studied close-binary system MT Ser. This object represents an important test case in the study of the evolution of planetary nebulae with binary central stars as current evolutionary theories predict that the binary plane should be aligned perpendicular to the symmetry axis of the nebula. Longslit observations of the \NII\ emission from Abell~41 were obtained using the Manchester Echelle Spectrometer on the 2.1-m San Pedro Mártir Telescope. These spectra,…
We have spectroscopically discovered a pair of twin, nitrogen-type, hydrogen-rich, Wolf-Rayet stars (WN8-9h) that are both surrounded by circular, mid-infrared-bright nebulae detected with the Spitzer Space Telescope and MIPS instrument. The emission is probably dominated by a thermal continuum from cool dust, but also may contain contributions from atomic line emission. There is no counterpart at shorter Spitzer/IRAC wavelengths, indicating a lack of emission from warm dust. The two nebulae are probably wind-swept stellar ejecta released by the central stars during a prior evolutionary phase.…
Planetary nebulae (PNe) are circumstellar gas ejected during an intense mass-losing phase in the the lives of asymptotic giant branch stars. PNe have a stunning variety of shapes, most of which are not spherically symmetric. The debate over what makes and shapes the circumstellar gas of these evolved, intermediate mass stars has raged for two decades. Today the community is reaching a consensus that single stars cannot trivially manufacture PNe and impart to them non spherical shapes and that a binary companion, possibly even a sub-stellar one, might be needed in a majority of cases. This theo…
We present absolute parallaxes and relative proper motions for the central stars of the planetary nebulae NGC 6853 (The Dumbbell), NGC 7293 (The Helix), Abell 31, and DeHt 5. This paper details our reduction and analysis using DeHt 5 as an example. We obtain these planetary nebula nuclei (PNNi) parallaxes with astrometric data from Fine Guidance Sensors FGS 1R and FGS 3, white-light interferometers on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Proper motions, spectral classifications and VJHKT_2M and DDO51 photometry of the stars comprising the astrometric reference frames provide spectrophotometric es…
This paper examines, compares and plots optical, near- and mid-infrared (MIR) photometric data for 605 planetary nebulae (PNe) in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). With the aid of multi-wavelength surveys such as the Spitzer legacy programme Surveying the Agents of a Galaxy's Evolution, the Two Micron All Sky Survey and the Magellanic Cloud Photometric Survey, plots have been constructed to expose the relative contributions from molecular hydrogen, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, forbidden emission lines, warm dust continuum and stellar emission at various bands. Besides identifying trends, …
We report an unbiased radio line survey towards the circumstellar envelopes of evolved stars at the frequency range from 20 to 25 GHz, aiming to obtain a more complete unbiased picture of the chemical evolution in the final stages of stellar evolution. The observation sample includes the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star IRC+10216, the proto-planetary nebulae (PPNs) CRL\,2688 and CRL\,618, and the young planetary nebula (PN) NGC\,7027, representing an evolutionary sequence spanning about 10,000 years. Rotational transitions from cyanopolyyne chains and inversion lines from ammonia are detecte…
The main goal of this thesis is to unveil some questions related to the formation of complex fullerene-based molecules in space, with the aim of resolving some key problems in astrophysics. The unexpected detections of fullerenes and graphene (possible C24) in the H-rich circumstellar environments of evolved stars indicate that these complex molecules are not so rare and bring the idea that other forms of carbon such as hydrogenated fullerenes (fulleranes), buckyonions, and carbon nanotubes may be widespread in the Universe, being closely involved in many aspects of circumstellar/interstellar …
A considerable fraction of the central stars of planetary nebulae (CSPNe) are hydrogen-deficient. Almost all of these H-deficient central stars (CSs) display spectra with strong carbon and helium lines. Most of them exhibit emission line spectra resembling those of massive WC stars. Therefore these stars are classed as CSPNe of spectral type [WC]. Recently, quantitative spectral analysis of two emission-line CSs, PB 8 and IC 4663, revealed that these stars do not belong to the [WC] class. Instead PB 8 has been classified as [WN/WC] type and IC 4663 as [WN] type. In this work we report the spec…
We present the first detailed spatio-kinematical analysis and modelling of the planetary nebula Abell 65, which is known to host a post-common envelope, binary, central star system. As such, this object is of great interest in studying the link between nebular morphology and central star binarity. [OIII]5007A and H-alpha+[NII]6584A longslit spectra and imagery of Abell 65 were obtained with the Manchester Echelle Spectrometer on the 2.1-m telescope at the San Pedro Martir Observatory (MES-SPM). Further [OIII]5007A longslit spectra were obtained with the Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrogr…
While most of the low-mass stars stay hydrogen-rich on their surface throughout their evolution, a considerable fraction of white dwarfs as well as central stars of planetary nebulae have a hydrogen-deficient surface composition. The majority of these H-deficient central stars exhibit spectra very similar to massive Wolf-Rayet stars of the carbon sequence, i.e. with broad emission lines of carbon, helium, and oxygen. In analogy to the massive Wolf-Rayet stars, they are classified as [WC] stars. Their formation, which is relatively well understood, is thought to be the result of a (very) late t…
Here we present the results of an airborne 3-5.4$μ$m spectroscopic study of three young, Carbon-rich planetary nebulae IC 5117, PNG 093.9-00.1, and BD $+$30 3639. These observations were made using the grism spectroscopy mode of the FLITECAM instrument during airborne science operations onboard NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). The goal of this study is to characterize the 3.3 $μ$m and 5.25 $μ$m PAH dust emission in planetary nebulae and study the evolution of PAH features within evolved stars before their incorporation into new stellar systems in star-forming re…
We have conducted a multi-wavelength study of the planetary nebula Abell 48 and give a revised classification of its nucleus as a hydrogen-deficient star of type [WN4]. The surrounding nebula has a morphology typical of PNe and importantly, is not enriched in nitrogen, and thus not the 'peeled atmosphere' of a massive star. Indeed, no WN4 star is known to be surrounded by such a compact nebula. The ionized mass of the nebula is also a powerful discriminant between the low-mass PN and high-mass WR ejecta interpretations. The ionized mass would be impossibly high if a distance corresponding to a…
Circumstellar envelopes (CEs) around evolved stars are an active site for the production of molecules. After evolving through the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB), proto-planetary nebula (PPN), to planetary nebula (PN) phases, CEs ultimately merge with the interstellar medium (ISM). The study of molecules in PNe, therefore, is essential to understanding the transition from stellar to interstellar materials. So far, over 20 molecular species have been discovered in PNe. The molecular composition of PNe is rather different from those of AGB and PPNe, suggesting that the molecules synthesized in PN …
The age distribution of the central stars of planetary nebulae (CSPN) is estimated using two methods based on their kinematic properties. First, the expected rotation velocities of the nebulae at their Galactocentric distances are compared with the predicted values for the rotation curve, and the differences are attributed to the different ages of the evolved stars. Adopting the relation between the ages and the velocity dispersions determined by the Geneva-Copenhagen survey, the age distribution can be derived. Second, the U, V, W, velocity components of the stars are determined, and the corr…
Born-again planetary nebulae (PNe) are extremely rare cases in the evolution of solar-like stars. It is commonly accepted that their central stars (CSPN) experienced a very late thermal pulse (VLTP), ejecting H-deficient material inside the evolved H-rich PN. Given the short duration of this event and the fast subsequent evolution of the CSPN, details of the mass ejection are unknown. We present the first morpho-kinematic model of the H-deficient material surrounding a born-again PN, namely A30. New San Pedro Mártir observations with the Manchester Echelle Spectrograph were recently obtained t…
We discuss and illustrate contributions that optical interferometry has made on our current understanding of cool evolved stars. We include red giant branch (RGB) stars, asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, and red supergiants (RSGs). Studies using optical interferometry from visual to mid-infrared wavelengths have greatly increased our knowledge of their atmospheres, extended molecular shells, dust formation, and winds. These processes and the morphology of the circumstellar environment are important for the further evolution of these stars toward planetary nebulae (PNe) and core-collapse sup…
Preplanetary nebulae and planetary nebulae are evolved, mass-losing stellar objects that show a wide variety of morphologies. Many of these nebulae consist of outer structures that are nearly spherical (spiral/shell/arc/halo) and inner structures that are highly asymmetric (bipolar/multipolar). The coexistence of such geometrically distinct structures is enigmatic because it hints at the simultaneous presence of both wide and close binary interactions, a phenomenon that has been attributed to stellar binary systems with eccentric orbits. Here we report new high-resolution molecular-line observ…
The evolution of asymptotic giant branch stars from the spherical symmetry into the diverse shapes of planetary nebulae (PNe) is a topic of intensive research. Young PNe provide a unique opportunity to characterize the onset of this transitional phase. In particular, OH maser-emitting PNe (OHPNe) are considered nascent PNe. In fact, only 6 OHPNe have been confirmed to date. In order to identify and characterize more OHPNe, we processed the unpublished continuum data of the interferometric follow-up of the Southern Parkes Large-Area Survey in Hydroxyl (SPLASH). We then matched the interferometr…
[Abridged] Investigations of neutron(n)-capture element nucleosynthesis and chemical evolution have largely been based on stellar spectroscopy. However, the recent detection of these elements in several planetary nebulae (PNe) indicates that nebular spectroscopy is a promising new tool for such studies. In PNe, n-capture element abundance determinations reveal details of s-process nucleosynthesis and convective mixing in evolved low-mass stars, as well as the chemical evolution of elements that cannot be detected in stellar spectra. Only one or two ions of a given trans-iron element can typica…
Observational evidence for strong magnetic fields throughout the envelopes of evolved stars is increasing. Many of the instruments coming on line in the near-future will be able to make further contributions to this field. Specifically, maser polarization observations and dust/line polarization in the sub-mm regime has the potential to finally provide a definite picture of the magnetic field strength and configuration from the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) all the way to the Planetary Nebula phase. While current observations are limited in sample size, strong magnetic fields appear ubiquitous …
We present 2 to 2.4 micron integral field spectroscopy of a sample of hot post-AGB stars with early-B spectral types, using the NIFS instrument on Gemini North. These stars are just beginning to ionize their immediate environments and turn into planetary nebulae (PNe).We use molecular hydrogen emission lines together with hydrogen and helium recombination lines to explore the distribution of molecular and atomic gas and the extent of the developing ionized region. We see a range of evolutionary stages: IRAS 18062+2410 and IRAS 18379-1707 have recently developed compact and unresolved regions o…
Context. Observations of molecular gas have played a key role in developing the current understanding of the late stages of stellar evolution. Aims. The survey Planetary nebulae AND their cO Reservoir with APEX (PANDORA) was designed to study the circumstellar shells of evolved stars with the aim to estimate their physical parameters. Methods. Millimetre carbon monoxide (CO) emission is the most useful probe of the warm molecular component ejected by low- to intermediate-mass stars. CO is the second-most abundant molecule in the Universe, and the millimeter transitions are easily excited, thus…
The occurrence of stellar wind in central stars planetary nebulae (CSPNe) can be revealed by the presence of P Cygni profiles of high-excitation lines overimposed on the stellar continuum. We have examined the entire FUSE archive and merged all useful observations of CSPNe to produce the highest quality spectra that can be used to assess the occurrence of stellar winds. Furthermore, the individual spectra of each CSPN have been searched for variability in the P Cygni profile. P Cygni profiles of high-excitation lines have been found in 44 CSPNe, with a clear correlation between the line ioniza…
M2-9, or the "Butterfly Nebula" is one of the most iconic outflow sources from an evolved star. In this paper we present a hydrodynamic model of M2-9 in which the nebula is formed and shaped by a steady, low-density ("light"), mildly collimated "spray" of gas injected at 200 km s^-1 that interacts with a far denser, intrinsically simple pre-existing AGB wind has slowly formed all of the complex features within M2-9's lobes (including the knot pairs N3/S3 and N4/S4 at their respective leading edges, and the radial gradient of Doppler shifts within 20" of the nucleus). We emphasize that the knot…
By tracing the distribution of cool dust in the extended envelopes of post-AGB stars and (proto)-planetary nebulae ((P)PNe) we aim to recover, or constrain, the mass loss history experienced by these stars in their recent past. The Far-Infrared Surveyor (FIS) instrument on board the AKARI satellite was used to obtain far-infrared maps for a selected sample of post-AGB stars and (P)PNe. We derived flux densities (aperture photometry) for 13 post-AGB stars and (P)PNe at four far-infrared wavelengths (60, 90, 140, and 160 um). Radial (azimuthally averaged) profiles are used to investigate the pre…
The common envelope (CE) interaction describes the swallowing of a nearby companion by a growing, evolving star. CEs that take place during the asymptotic giant branch phase of the primary and may lead to the formation of a planetary nebula (PN) with a post-CE close binary in the middle. We have used published observations of masses and kinematics of jets in four post-CE PN to infer physical characteristics of the CE interaction. In three of the four systems studied, Abell 63, ETHOS 1 and the Necklace PN, the kinematics indicate that the jets were launched a few thousand years before the CE an…
We analyse the planetary nebulae (PNe) population of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), based on evolutionary models of stars with metallicities in the range $10^{-3} \leq Z \leq 4\times 10^{-3}$ and mass $0.9 M\odot < M < 8M\odot$, evolved through the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase. The models used account for dust formation in the circumstellar envelope. To characterise the PNe sample of the SMC, we compare the observed abundances of the various species with the final chemical composition of the AGB models: this study allows us to identify the progenitors of the PNe observed, in terms of…
We present 48 Herschel/PACS spectra of evolved stars in the wavelength range of 67-72 $μ$m. This wavelength range covers the 69 $μ$m band of crystalline olivine ($\text{Mg}_{2-2x}\text{Fe}_{(2x)}\text{SiO}_{4}$). The width and wavelength position of this band are sensitive to the temperature and composition of the crystalline olivine. Our sample covers a wide range of objects: from high mass-loss rate AGB stars (OH/IR stars, $\dot M \ge 10^{-5}$ M$_\odot$/yr), through post-AGB stars with and without circumbinary disks, to planetary nebulae and even a few massive evolved stars. The goal of this…
The actual value of the oxygen abundance of the metal-poor planetary nebula PN G135.9+55.9 has frequently been debated in the literature. We wanted to clarify the situation by making an improved abundance determination based on a study that includes both new accurate observations and new models. We made observations using the method of integral field spectroscopy with the PMAS instrument, and also used ultraviolet observations that were measured with HST-STIS. In our interpretation of the reduced and calibrated spectrum we used for the first time, recent radiation hydrodynamic models, which we…
Spitzer MIPS 24 um images were obtained for 36 Galactic planetary nebulae (PNe) whose central stars are hot white dwarfs (WDs) or pre-WDs with effective temperatures of ~100,000 K or higher. Diffuse 24 um emission is detected in 28 of these PNe. The eight non-detections are angularly large PNe with very low H-alpha surface brightnesses. We find three types of correspondence between the 24 um emission and H-alpha line emission of these PNe: six show 24 um emission more extended than H-alpha emission, nine have a similar extent at 24 um and H-alpha, and 13 show diffuse 24 um emission near the ce…
In planetary nebulae, abundances of oxygen and other heavy elements derived from optical recombination lines are systematically higher than those derived from collisionally excited lines. We investigate the hypothesis that the destruction of solid bodies may produce pockets of cool, high-metallicity gas that could explain these abundance discrepancies. Under the assumption of maximally efficient radiative ablation, we derive two fundamental constraints that the solid bodies must satisfy in order that their evaporation during the planetary nebula phase should generate a high enough gas phase me…
It is now clear that binarity plays a crucial role in many aspects of planetary nebulae (PNe), particularly the striking morphologies they exhibit. To date, there are ~60 known bCSPNe. However, both theory and observation indicates that this represents only the tip of the iceberg, with the Galactic PN population hosting orders of magnitude more. We are involved in a search for new bCSPNe to enhance the statistical validation of the key role of binarity in the formation and shaping of PNe. New discoveries of bCSPNe and their characterization carry important implications not only for understandi…
We have conducted a detailed multi-wavelength study of the peculiar nebula Abell 48 and its central star. We classify the nucleus as a helium-rich, hydrogen-deficient star of type [WN4-5]. The evidence for either a massive WN or a low-mass [WN] interpretation is critically examined, and we firmly conclude that Abell 48 is a planetary nebula (PN) around an evolved low-mass star, rather than a Population I ejecta nebula. Importantly, the surrounding nebula has a morphology typical of PNe, and is not enriched in nitrogen, and thus not the `peeled atmosphere' of a massive star. We estimate a dista…
