Publication

The creation of the helix planetary nebula (ngc 7293) by multiple events

Meaburn, J.
Boumis, P.
López, J. A.
Harman, D. J.
Bryce, M.
Redman, M. P.
Mavromatakis, F.
Citation
Meaburn, J. Boumis, P.; López, J. A.; Harman, D. J.; Bryce, M.; Redman, M. P.; Mavromatakis, F. (2005). The creation of the helix planetary nebula (ngc 7293) by multiple events. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 360 (3), 963-973
Abstract
A deep continuum-subtracted image of NGC 7293 has been obtained in the light of the H alpha+[N II] emission lines. New images of two filamentary halo structures have been obtained, and a possible detection of a collimated outflow made. Spatially resolved long-slit profiles of the Ha+[N II] lines have been observed across several of these features with the Manchester echelle spectrometer combined with the San Pedro Martir 2.1-m telescope; these are compared with the [N II] 6584 angstrom, [O III] 5007 angstrom, He II 6560 angstrom and Ha profiles obtained over the nebular core. The central He II emission originates in a approximate to 0.34-pc diameter spherical volume expanding at <= 12 km s(-1), which is surrounded by, and partially coincident with, an [O III] 5007 angstrom emitting inner shell expanding at 12 km s(-1). The bright helical structure surrounding this inner region is modelled as a bipolar nebula with lobe expansions of 25 km s(-1) whose axis is tilted at 37 degrees. to the sightline but with a toroidal waist itself expanding at 14 km s(-1). These observations are compared with the expectations of the interacting two-winds model for the formation of planetary nebulae. Only after the fast wind has switched off could this global velocity structure be generated. Ablated flows must complicate any interpretation. It is suggested that the clumpy nature of much of the material could play a part in creating the radial 'spokes' shown here to be apparently present close to the central star. These 'spokes' could in fact be the persistent tails of cometary globules whose heads have now completely photoevaporated. A halo arc projecting from the north-east of the bright core has a counterpart to the southeast. Anomolies in the position-velocity arrays of line profiles could suggest that these are part of an expanding disc not aligned with the central helical structure, although bipolar lobes expanding along a tilted axis are not ruled out.
Funder
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Publisher DOI
10.1111/j.1365-2966.2005.09083.x
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Ireland