MULTIPOLAR PLANETARY NEBULAE: NOT AS GEOMETRICALLY DIVERSIFIED AS THOUGHT

Journal Article · Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 2012 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/760/2/115· OSTI ID:22086252

Chong, S -N; Imai, H; Chibueze, J ^[1]; Kwok, Sun ^[2]; Tafoya, D ^[3]

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1. Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University, 1-21-35 Korimoto, Kagoshima 890-0065 (Japan)
2. Department of Physics, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road (Hong Kong)
3. Onsala Space Observatory, SE-439 92 Onsala (Sweden)

Planetary nebulae (PNe) have diverse morphological shapes, including point-symmetric and multipolar structures. Many PNe also have complicated internal structures such as tori, lobes, knots, and ansae. A complete accounting of all the morphological structures through physical models is difficult. A first step toward such an understanding is to derive the true three-dimensional structure of the nebulae. In this paper, we show that a multipolar nebula with three pairs of lobes can explain many such features, if orientation and sensitivity effects are taken into account. Using only six parameters-the inclination and position angles of each pair-we are able to simulate the observed images of 20 PNe with complex structures. We suggest that multipolar structure is an intrinsic structure of PNe and the statistics of multipolar PNe have been severely underestimated in the past.

• OSTI ID: 22086252
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 760, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
ACCOUNTING
ASTRONOMY
ASTROPHYSICS
INCLINATION
ORIENTATION
PLANETARY NEBULAE
SENSITIVITY
STATISTICS
SYMMETRY
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS