THE EVOLUTION OF THE CENTRAL STARS OF PLANETARY NEBULAE

Journal Article · Mon Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1963 · Astrophysical Journal (U.S.)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/147618· OSTI ID:4689478

O'Dell, C R

A new temperature scale for the planetary nebulae is derived based upon the H BETA recombination line of ionized hydrogen of the nebular shell and the photographic magnitude of the central star. The temperatures are systematically larger than those derived by Berman. The mean sizes of the nebular shells are used to indicate the time scale of the changes occurring in the central stars. The stars are seen to be in a rapidly contracting state with the radius shrinking from over 1 solar radius to one-one hundredth of the snlar radius in a time scale of 25000 years, while the effective temperature rises from 40,000 to 150,000 deg K, thereby entering regions of almost complete degeneracy. It is shown that these star + nebula systems represent the gravitational-collapse phase of evolution of stars of about 1.2 solar masses as their nuclear fuel-burning is completed. The stars, having passed through the state having planetary nebulae, can account for a large fraction of the presently observed white dwarfs. (auth)

• Research Organization: Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, D.C.; and California Inst. of Tech., Pasadena
• NSA Number: NSA-17-032849
• OSTI ID: 4689478
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal (U.S.), Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal (U.S.) Vol. Vol: 138; ISSN ASJOA
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ASTROPHYSICS
GRAVITATION
HYDROGEN
IONS
PHYSICS
PLANETARY NEBULAE
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS
SPECTRA
STARS
TEMPERATURE
THERMONUCLEAR REACTIONS
WHITE DWARFS