314 research outputs found
The tails in the Helix Nebula NGC 7293
We have examined a stream-source model for the production of the cometary
tails observed in the Helix Nebula NGC 7293 in which a transonic or moderately
supersonic stream of ionized gas overruns a source of ionized gas. Hydrodynamic
calculations reveal velocity structures which are in good agreement with the
observational data on tail velocities and are consistent with observations of
the nebular structure. The results also are indicative of a stellar atmosphere
origin for the cometary globules. Tail remnants persist for timescales long
enough for their identification with faint striations visible in the nebula gas
to be plausible.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Optical line profiles of the Helix planetary nebula (NGC 7293) to large radii
New, very long (25'), cuts of spatially resolved profiles of the Halpha and
[N II] optical emission lines have been obtained over the face of the Helix
planetary nebula, NGC 7293. These directions were chosen to supplement previous
similar, though shorter, cuts as well as crossing interesting phenomena in this
nebular envelope. In particular one new cut crosses the extremes of the
proposed CO J=2-1 emitting outer "torus" shown by Huggins and his co-workers to
be nearly orthogonal to its inner counterpart. The second new cut crosses the
extensive outer filamentary arcs on either side of the bright nebular core. It
is shown that NGC 7293 is composed of multiple bipolar outflows along different
axes. Hubble-type outflows over a dynamical timescale of 11,000 years are shown
to be occurring for all the phenomena from the smallest He II emitting core out
to the largest outer filamentary structure. All must then have been ejected
over a short timescale but with a range of ejection velocitiesComment: 14 pages, 7 figures, MNRAS in pres
The [O III] Veil: Astropause of Eta Carinae's Wind?
We present narrowband images of eta Carinae in the light of [O III] 5007
obtained with HST/WFPC2, as well as a ground-based image in the same emission
line with a larger field of view. These images show a thin veil of [O III]
emission around eta Car and its ejecta, confirming the existence of an
oxygen-bearing ``cocoon'' inferred from spectra. This [O III] veil may be the
remnant of the pre-outburst wind of eta Car, and its outer edge probably marks
the interface where eta Car's ejecta meet the stellar wind of the nearby O4
V((f)) star HD303308 or other ambient material -- i.e., it marks the
``astropause'' in eta Car's wind. This veil is part of a more extensive [O III]
shell that appears to be shaped and ionized by HD303308. A pair of HST images
with a 10 yr baseline shows no proper motion, limiting the expansion speed away
from eta Car to 12pm13 km/s, or an expansion age of a few times 10^4 yr. Thus,
this is probably the decelerated pre-outburst LBV wind of eta Car. The [O III]
morphology is very different from that seen in [N II], which traces young knots
of CNO-processed material; this represents a dramatic shift in the chemical
makeup of material recently ejected by eta Car. This change in the chemical
abundances may have resulted from the sudden removal of the star's outer
envelope during eta Car's 19th century outburst or an earlier but similar
event.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figs. Figs 1 and 3 in color. Accepted to AJ, October 200
MERLIN radio detection of an interaction zone within a binary Orion proplyd system
Presented here are high angular resolution MERLIN 5 GHz (6 cm) continuum
observations of the binary proplyd system, LV 1 in the Orion nebula, which
consists of proplyd 168--326SE and its binary proplyd companion 168--326NW
(separation 0.4 arcsec). Accurate astrometric alignment allows a detailed
comparison between these data and published HST PC Halpha and [Oiii] images.
Thermal radio sources coincide with the two proplyds and originate in the
ionized photoevaporating flows seen in the optical emission lines. Flow
velocities of approx 50 km/s from the ionized proplyd surfaces and \geq 100
km/s from a possible micro-jet have been detected using the Manchester Echelle
spectrometer.
A third radio source is found to coincide with a region of extended, high
excitation, optical line emission that lies between the binary proplyds
168--326SE/326NW . This is modelled as a bowshock due to the collision of the
photoevaporating flows from the two proplyds. Both a thermal and a non-thermal
origin for the radio emission in this collision zone are considered.Comment: 23 pages, 9 figures, accepted by Ap
Jets and the shaping of the giant bipolar envelope of the planetary nebula KjPn 8
A hydrodynamic model involving cooling gas in the stagnation region of a
collimated outflow is proposed for the formation of the giant parsec-scale
bipolar envelope that surrounds the planetary nebula KjPn 8. Analytical
calculations and numerical simulations are presented to evaluate the model. The
envelope is considered to consist mainly of environmental gas swept-up by
shocks driven by an episodic, collimated, bipolar outflow. In this model, which
we call the ``free stagnation knot'' mechanism, the swept-up ambient gas
located in the stagnation region of the bow-shock cools to produce a high
density knot. This knot moves along with the bow-shock. When the central
outflow ceases, pressurization of the interior of the envelope stops and its
expansion slows down. The stagnation knot, however, has sufficient momentum to
propagate freely further along the axis, producing a distinct nose at the end
of the lobe. The model is found to successfully reproduce the peculiar shape
and global kinematics of the giant bipolar envelope of KjPn 8.Comment: 20 pages + 8 figures (in 1 tar-file 0.67 Mb
Nitrogen and Oxygen Abundance Variations in the Outer Ejecta of Eta Carinae: Evidence for Recent Chemical Enrichment
We present optical spectra of the ionized `Outer Ejecta' of Eta Carinae that
reveal differences in chemical composition at various positions. In particular,
young condensations just outside the dusty Homunculus Nebula show strong
nitrogen lines and little or no oxygen -- but farther away, nitrogen lines
weaken and oxygen lines become stronger. The observed variations in the
apparent N/O ratio may signify either that the various blobs were ejected with
different abundances, or more likely, that the more distant condensations are
interacting with normal-composition material. The second hypothesis is
supported by various other clues involving kinematics and X-ray emission, and
would suggest that Eta Car is enveloped in a ``cocoon'' deposited by previous
stellar-wind mass loss. In particular, all emission features where we detect
strong oxygen lines are coincident with or outside the soft X-ray shell. In
either case, the observed abundance variations suggest that Eta Car's ejection
of nitrogen-rich material is a recent phenomenon -- taking place in just the
last few thousand years. Thus, Eta Carinae may be at a critical stage of
evolution when ashes of the CNO cycle have just appeared at its surface.
Finally, these spectra reveal some extremely fast nitrogen-rich material, with
Doppler velocities up to 3200 km/s, and actual space velocities that may be
much higher. This is the fastest material yet seen in Eta Car's nebula, but
with unknown projection angles its age is uncertain.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables. Accepted by ApJ, April 20 200
Large Scale Flows from Orion-South
Multiple optical outflows are known to exist in the vicinity of the active
star formation region called Orion-South (Orion-S). We have mapped the velocity
of low ionization features in the brightest part of the Orion Nebula, including
Orion-S, and imaged the entire nebula with the Hubble Space Telescope. These
new data, combined with recent high resolution radio maps of outflows from the
Orion-S region, allow us to trace the origin of the optical outflows. It is
confirmed that HH 625 arises from the blueshifted lobe of the CO outflow from
136-359 in Orion-S while it is likely that HH 507 arises from the blueshifted
lobe of the SiO outflow from the nearby source 135-356. It is likely that
redshifted lobes are deflected within the photon dominated region behind the
optical nebula. This leads to a possible identification of a new large shock to
the southwest from Orion-S as being driven by the redshifted CO outflow arising
from 137-408. The distant object HH 400 is seen to have two even further
components and these all are probably linked to either HH 203, HH 204, or HH
528. Distant shocks on the west side of the nebula may be related to HH 269.
The sources of multiple bright blueshifted Herbig-Haro objects (HH 202, HH 203,
HH 204, HH 269, HH 528) remain unidentified, in spite of earlier claimed
identifications. Some of this lack of identification may arise from the fact
that deflection in radial velocity can also produce a change in direction in
the plane of the sky. The best way to resolve this open question is through
improved tangential velocities of low ionization features arising where the
outflows first break out into the ionized nebula.Comment: Astronomical Journal, in press. Some figures are shown at reduced
resolution. A full-resolution version is available at
http://ifront.org/wiki/Orion_South_Outflows_Pape
Determination of the Physical Conditions of the Knots in the Helix Nebula from Optical and Infrared Observations
[Abridged] We use new HST and archived images to clarify the nature of the
knots in the Helix Nebula. We employ published far infrared spectrophotometry
and existing 2.12 micron images to establish that the population distribution
of the lowest ro-vibrational states of H2 is close to the distribution of a gas
in LTE at 988 +- 119 K. We derive a total flux from the nebula in H2 lines and
compare this with the power available from the central star for producing this
radiation. We establish that neither soft X-rays nor FUV radiation has enough
energy to power the H2 radiation, only the stellar EUV radiation shortward of
912 Angstrom does. Advection of material from the cold regions of the knots
produces an extensive zone where both atomic and molecular hydrogen are found,
allowing the H2 to directly be heated by Lyman continuum radiation, thus
providing a mechanism that can explain the excitation temperature and surface
brightness of the cusps and tails. New images of the knot 378-801 reveal that
the 2.12 micron cusp and tail lie immediately inside the ionized atomic gas
zone. This firmly establishes that the "tail" structure is an ionization
bounded radiation shadow behind the optically thick core of the knot. A unique
new image in the HeII 4686 Angstrom line fails to show any emission from knots
that might have been found in the He++ core of the nebula. We also re-examined
high signal-to-noise ratio ground-based telescope images of this same inner
region and found no evidence of structures that could be related to knots.Comment: Astronomical Journal, in press. Some figures are shown at reduced
resolution. A full resolution version is available at
http://www.ifront.org/wiki/Helix_Nebula_2007_Pape
- …