Internal dynamics of the planetary nebulae in the Large Magellanic Cloud

Journal Article · Fri Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/166221· OSTI ID:7129123

Dopita, M A; Meatheringham, S J; Webster, B L; Ford, H C

The radial velocity and expansion velocity in the forbidden O III 5007 line have been determined for a sample of 94 PN in the LMC. In addition, densities and expansion velocities have been determined for a subset of 44 objects in both the LMC and SMC using the forbidden O II 3727, 3729 doublet. With a few notable exceptions, the forbidden O II expansion velocities are well correlated with, but are systematically higher than, the forbidden O III expansion velocities. For a given excitation class, there appears to be an upper limit to the density, in the sense that very high density objects are always of low excitation, but low-density objects can occur at any excitation. The population of PN in the Magellanic Clouds appears to form a sheet in dynamical age/excitation class/nebular density space, and therefore represents a two-parameter family. The implication of this is that the nebular parameters are entirely determined by the properties of the central star. This fact could represent the basis of a solution to the distance scale problem for Galactic PN. 44 references.

• Research Organization: Mount Stromlo and Siding Spring Observatories, Canberra (Australia); New South Wales Univ., Kensington (Australia); Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7129123
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J.; (United States) Vol. 327; ISSN ASJOA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640102 -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
640105* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Galaxies
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
DENSITY
EMISSION SPECTRA
EXPANSION
GALAXIES
MAGELLANIC CLOUDS
NEBULAE
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLANETARY NEBULAE
RADIAL VELOCITY
SPECTRA
STARS
VELOCITY