Distances of planetary nebulae

Journal Article · Fri Mar 15 04:00:00 EST 1985 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/163013· OSTI ID:5477787

Kwok, S

The evolution of the ionization structure of planetary nebulae is calculated from the central-star evolutionary models of Schoenberner (1983). We find the predictions of models in the 0.57--0.64 M/sub sun/ mass range to be consistent with observed nebular parameters of planetary nebulae with known distances. The rapid evolution of the central stars in the Schoenberner models implies that the nebular and central star evolutions are strongly coupled with each other, and interpretations of the nebular properties have to take into account the state of the central star. We also derive a semiempirical mass-radius relationship of the form MproportionalR/sup ..beta../, where ..beta.. = 2.25-2.50. This relationship suggests that the dependence of the radio flux density on angular size as the result of the expansion of an ionization front has approximately the same form as the flux-angular size dependence for planetary nebulae at different distances. Consequently, distances of ionization-bounded planetary nebulae cannot be reliably determined from the measurement of radio flux (or H..beta..) and angular size alone.

• Research Organization: Department of Physics, University of Calgary
• OSTI ID: 5477787
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J.; (United States) Vol. 290:2; ISSN ASJOA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640102* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
DIAGRAMS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRON DENSITY
FLUX DENSITY
HERTZSPRUNG-RUSSELL DIAGRAM
IONIZATION
MASS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NEBULAE
PLANETARY NEBULAE
RADIATION FLUX
RADIATIONS
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
STAR EVOLUTION
STAR MODELS
STELLAR ACTIVITY
STELLAR WINDS