931 research outputs found
From the ashes: JVLA observations of water fountain nebula candidates show the rebirth of IRAS 18455+0448
[abridged] The class of water fountain nebulae is thought to represent the
stage of the earliest onset of collimated bipolar outflows during the
post-Asymptotic Giant Branch phase. They thus play a crucial role in the study
of the formation of bipolar Planetary Nebulae (PNe). To date, 14 water fountain
nebulae have been identified. The identification of more sources in this unique
stage of stellar evolution will enable us to study the origin of bipolar PNe
morphologies in more detail. We present the results of seven sources observed
with the JVLA that were identified as water fountain candidates in an
Effelsberg 100m telescope survey of 74 AGB and early post-AGB stars. We find
that our sample of water fountain candidates displays strong variability in
their 22 GHz H2O maser spectra. The JVLA observations show an extended bipolar
H2O maser outflow for one source, the OH/IR star IRAS 18455+0448. This source
was previously classified as a 'dying' OH/IR star based on the exponential
decrease of its 1612 MHz OH maser and the lack of H2O masers. We therefore also
re-observed the 1612, 1665, and 1667 MHz OH masers. We confirm that the 1612
MHz masers have not reappeared and find that the 1665/1667 MHz masers have
decreased in strength by several orders of magnitude during the last decade.
The OH/IR star IRAS 18455+0448 is confirmed to be a new addition to the class
of water fountain nebulae. Its kinematic age is approximately 70 yr, but could
be lower, depending on the distance and inclination. Previous observations
indicate, with significant uncertainty, that IRAS 18455+0448 has a surprisingly
low mass compared to available estimates for other water fountain nebulae. The
available historical OH maser observations make IRAS 18455+0448 unique for the
study of water fountain nebulae and the launch of post-AGB bipolar outflows...Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in A&A (revised minor
typos
Deep into the Water Fountains: The case of IRAS 18043-2116
(Abridged) The formation of large-scale (hundreds to few thousands of AU)
bipolar structures in the circumstellar envelopes (CSEs) of post-Asymptotic
Giant Branch (post-AGB) stars is poorly understood. The shape of these
structures, traced by emission from fast molecular outflows, suggests that the
dynamics at the innermost regions of these CSEs does not depend only on the
energy of the radiation field of the central star. Deep into the Water
Fountains is an observational project based on the results of programs carried
out with three telescope facilities: The Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array
(JVLA), The Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA), and the Very Large
Telescope (SINFONI-VLT). Here we report the results of the observations towards
the WF nebula IRAS 180432116: Detection of radio continuum emission in the
frequency range 1.5GHz - 8.0GHz; HO maser spectral features and radio
continuum emission detected at 22GHz, and H ro-vibrational emission lines
detected at the near infrared. The high-velocity HO maser spectral
features, and the shock-excited H emission detected could be produced in
molecular layers which are swept up as a consequence of the propagation of a
jet-driven wind. Using the derived H column density, we estimated a
molecular mass-loss rate of the order of Myr. On the
other hand, if the radio continuum flux detected is generated as a consequence
of the propagation of a thermal radio jet, the mass-loss rate associated to the
outflowing ionized material is of the order of 10Myr.
The presence of a rotating disk could be a plausible explanation for the
mass-loss rates estimated.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in A&
Submillimeter H2O masers in water-fountain nebulae
We report the first detection of submillimeter water maser emission toward
water-fountain nebulae, which are post-AGB stars that exhibit high-velocity
water masers. Using APEX we found emission in the ortho-H2O (10_29-9_36)
transition at 321.226 GHz toward three sources: IRAS 15445-5449, IRAS
18043-2116 and IRAS 18286-0959. Similarly to the 22 GHz masers, the
submillimeter water masers are expanding with a velocity larger than that of
the OH masers, suggesting that these masers also originate in fast bipolar
outflows. In IRAS 18043-2116 and IRAS 18286-0959, which figure among the
sources with the fastest water masers, the velocity range of the 321 GHz masers
coincides with that of the 22 GHz masers, indicating that they likely coexist.
Towards IRAS 15445-5449 the submillimeter masers appear in a different velocity
range, indicating that they are tracing different regions. The intensity of the
submillimeter masers is comparable to that of the 22 GHz masers, implying that
the kinetic temperature of the region where the masers originate should be Tk >
1000 K. We propose that the passage of two shocks through the same gas can
create the conditions necessary to explain the presence of strong high-velocity
321 GHz masers coexisting with the 22 GHz masers in the same region.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure. Accepted for publication in A&A Letter
Polarisation of molecular lines in the circumstellar envelope of the post-Asymptotic Giant Branch star OH 17.7-2.0
(abridged) The role of magnetic field in the shaping of Planetary Nebulae
(PNe), either directly or indirectly after being enhanced by binary
interaction, has long been a topic of debate. Large scale magnetic fields
around pre-PNe have been inferred from polarisation observations of masers.
However, because masers probe very specific regions, it is still unclear if the
maser results are representative of the intrinsic magnetic field in the
circumstellar envelope (CSE). Molecular line polarisation can provide important
information about the magnetic field. A comparison between the field morphology
determined from maser observations and that observed in the more diffuse CO
gas, can reveal if the two tracers probe the same magnetic field. We compare
observations taken with ALMA of molecular line polarisation around the
post-Asymptotic Giant Branch)/pre-PNe star OH~17.7-2.0 with previous
observations of polarisation in the 1612~MHz OH maser region. We detect
CO~ molecular line polarisation at a level of that displays an
ordered linear polarisation structure. We find that, correcting for Faraday
rotation of the OH~maser linear polarisation vectors, the OH and CO linearly
polarised emission trace the same large scale magnetic field. A structure
function analysis of the CO linear polarisation reveals a plane-of-the-sky
magnetic field strength of ~mG in the CO region, consistent with
previous OH Zeeman observations. The consistency of the ALMA CO molecular line
polarisation with maser observations indicate that both can be used to
determine the magnetic field in CSEs. The existence of a strong, ordered,
magnetic-field around OH 17.7-2.0 indicates that magnetic fields are likely
involved in the formation of this bipolar pre-PNe.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures; accepted for publication in A&
Multipolar planetary nebulae: not as geometrically diversified as thought
Session 2: The Stellar Evolution Connection - 2c: Aspects of the Central StarsWe present a general three-dimensional model of multipolar planetary nebulae (PNe). By rotating to different viewing angles and adjusting the angles between the multiple lobes, we demonstrate that the model is able to reproduce HST Hα images of 20 multipolar young PNe. Though this model only considers the geometrical projection effects, it significantly unifies the selected PNe and can be considered as a first-order fundamental model of the "multipolar" morphological class. This kind of model reduces complexity and is essential to pursuing of the shaping mechanism. In addition, we illustrate that under some special conditions, i.e. in certain viewing angles, or with low sensitivity, it will be hard to imagine that the projected image originates from a multipolar-lobed model. © 2012 International Astronomical Union.published_or_final_versionThe IAU Symposium No. 283: "Planetary Nebulae: an Eye to the Future", Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, Spain, 25-29 July 2011. In International Astronomical Union Proceedings, 2011, v. 7 S283, p. 184-18
HD101584: Circumstellar characteristics and evolutionary status
We have performed a study of the characteristics of the circumstellar
environment of the binary object HD101584, that provides information on a
likely evolutionary scenario. We have obtained and analysed ALMA observations,
complemented with observations using APEX, of a large number of molecular
lines. An analysis of the spectral energy distribution has also been performed.
Emissions from 12 molecular species (not counting isotopologues) have been
observed, and most of them mapped with angular resolutions in the range 0.1" to
0.6". Four circumstellar components are identified: i) a central compact source
of size 0.15", ii) an expanding equatorial density enhancement (a flattened
density distribution in the plane of the orbit) of size 3", iii) a bipolar
high-velocity outflow (150 km/s), and iv) an hourglass structure. The outflow
is directed almost along the line of sight. There is evidence of a second
bipolar outflow. The mass of the circumstellar gas is 0.5[D/1 kpc]^2 Msun,
about half of it lies in the equatorial density enhancement. The dust mass is
0.01[D/1 kpc]^2 Msun, and a substantial fraction of this is in the form of
large-sized, up to 1 mm, grains. The estimated kinetic age of the outflow is
770[D/1 kpc] yr. The kinetic energy and the scalar momentum of the accelerated
gas are estimated to be 7x10^(45)[D/1 kpc]^2 erg and 10^(39)[D/1 kpc]^2 g cm/s,
respectively. We provide good evidence that the binary system HD101584 is in a
post-common-envelope-evolution phase, that ended before a stellar merger.
Isotope ratios combined with stellar mass estimates suggest that the primary
star's evolution was terminated already on the first red giant branch (RGB).
Most of the energy required to drive the outflowing gas was probably released
when material fell towards the companion.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&
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