Interaction of planetary nebulae with the interstellar medium

Journal Article · Sat Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Astrophysical Journal; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/169106· OSTI ID:6406872

Borkowski, K J; Sarazin, C L; Soker, N ^[1]

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1. Virginia Univ., Charlottesville (USA) Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA (USA)

The interaction of a moving planetary nebula (PN) with the interstellar medium is considered. The PN shell is compressed first in the direction of the stellar motion. This produces a dipole asymmetry in the surface brightness of the nebula, typically at a nebular density of about 40/cu cm if the nebula is located in the Galactic plane. In the later stages of the interaction, this part of the shell is significantly decelerated with respect to the central star, and the PN becomes strongly asymmetric in shape. This distortion and the subsequent stripping of the nebular gas away from the central star typically occurs at a low nebular density of about 6/cu cm. The morphology of PNs with central stars whose proper motions exceed 0.015 arcsec/yr was examined, and it was found that many of the extended nebulae are interacting with the interstellar medium (ISM). The sample doubles the number of known PNs interacting with the ISM. The morphology of nearby PNs was examined, and a number of strongly asymmetric nebuale were found. 89 refs.

• OSTI ID: 6406872
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal; (USA), Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal; (USA) Vol. 360; ISSN ASJOA; ISSN 0004-637X
• 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
ASYMMETRY
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
INTERACTIONS
INTERSTELLAR SPACE
MASS TRANSFER
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MORPHOLOGY
MOTION
NEBULAE
PLANETARY NEBULAE
SPACE
STAR EVOLUTION