We present a study of Hen 2-155 and Hen 2-161, two planetary nebulae which bear striking morphological similarities to other planetary nebulae known to host close-binary central stars. Both central ...stars are revealed to be photometric variables while spectroscopic observations confirm that Hen 2-155 is host to a double-eclipsing, post-common-envelope system with an orbital period of 3h33m making it one of the shortest period binary central stars known. The observations of Hen 2-161 are found to be consistent with a post-common-envelope binary of period ~1 day. A detailed model of the central star of Hen 2-155 is produced, showing the nebular progenitor to be a hot, post-AGB remnant of approximately 0.62 M⊙, consistent with the age of the nebula, and the secondary star to be an M dwarf whose radius is almost twice the expected zero age main sequence radius for its mass. In spite of the small numbers, all main-sequence companions, of planetary nebulae central stars, to have had their masses and radii constrained by both photometric and spectroscopic observations have also been found to display this “inflation”. The cause of the “inflation” is uncertain but is probably related to rapid accretion, immediately before the recent common-envelope phase, to which the star has not yet thermally adjusted. The chemical composition of both nebulae is also analysed, showing both to display elevated abundance discrepancy factors. This strengthens the link between elevated abundance discrepancy factors and close binarity in the nebular progenitor.
ABSTRACT
HiPERCAM is a portable, quintuple-beam optical imager that saw first light on the 10.4-m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) in 2018. The instrument uses re-imaging optics and four dichroic ...beamsplitters to record $u_{\rm s}\, g_{\rm s}\, r_{\rm s}\, i_{\rm s}\, z_{\rm s}$ (320–1060 nm) images simultaneously on its five CCD cameras, each of 3.1-arcmin (diagonal) field of view. The detectors in HiPERCAM are frame-transfer devices cooled thermo-electrically to 183 K, thereby allowing both long-exposure, deep imaging of faint targets, as well as high-speed (over 1000 windowed frames per second) imaging of rapidly varying targets. A comparison-star pick-off system in the telescope focal plane increases the effective field of view to 6.7 arcmin for differential photometry. Combining HiPERCAM with the world’s largest optical telescope enables the detection of astronomical sources to gs ∼ 23 in 1 s and gs ∼ 28 in 1 h. In this paper, we describe the scientific motivation behind HiPERCAM, present its design, report on its measured performance, and outline some planned enhancements.
We present the first results of our search for new, extended planetary nebulae (PNe) based on careful, systematic, visual scrutiny of the imaging data from the Isaac Newton Telescope Photometric Hα ...Survey of the Northern Galactic plane (IPHAS). The newly uncovered PNe will help to improve the census of this important population of Galactic objects that serve as key windows into the late-stage evolution of low- to intermediate-mass stars. They will also facilitate study of the faint end of the ensemble Galactic PN luminosity function. The sensitivity and coverage of IPHAS allows PNe to be found in regions of greater extinction in the Galactic plane and/or those PNe in a more advanced evolutionary state and at larger distances compared to the general Galactic PN population. Using a set of newly revised optical diagnostic diagrams in combination with access to a powerful, new, multiwavelength imaging data base, we have identified 159 true, likely and possible PNe for this first catalogue release. The ability of IPHAS to unveil PNe at low Galactic latitudes and towards the Galactic Anticentre, compared to previous surveys, makes this survey an ideal tool to contribute to the improvement of our knowledge of the whole Galactic PN population.
Aims. The aim of this paper is to discuss the nature of two type Ic supernovae SN 2007bg and SN 2007bi and their host galaxies. Both supernovae were discovered in wide-field, non-targeted surveys and ...are found to be associated with sub-luminous blue dwarf galaxies identified in SDSS images. Methods. We present BVRI photometry and optical spectroscopy of SN 2007bg and SN 2007bi and their host galaxies. Their lightcurves and spectra are compared to those of other type Ic SNe and analysis of these data provides estimates of the energetics, total ejected masses and synthesised mass of 56Ni. Detection of the host galaxy emission lines allows for metallicity measurements. Results. Neither SNe 2007bg nor 2007bi were found in association with an observed GRB, but from estimates of the metallicities of their host-galaxies they are found to inhabit similar low-metallicity environments as GRB associated supernovae. The radio-bright SN 2007bg is hosted by an extremely sub-luminous galaxy of magnitude MB = -12.4 ± 0.6 mag and an estimated oxygen abundance of 12+log(O/H) = 8.18 ± 0.17 (on the Pettini & Pagel 2004 scale). The early lightcurve evolution of SN 2007bg matches the fast-pace decline of SN 1994I giving it one of the fastest post-maximum decline rates of all broad-lined type Ic supernovae known to date and, when combined with its high expansion velocities, a high kinetic energy to ejected mass ratio (EK/Mej~2.7). We also show that SN 2007bi is possibly the most luminous type Ic known, reaching a peak magnitude of $M_{\rm R} $~ -21.3 mag and displays a remarkably slow decline, following the radioactive decay rate of 56Co to 56Fe throughout the course of its observed lifetime. SN 2007bi also displays an extreme longevity in its spectral evolution and is still not fully nebular at approximately one year post-maximum brightness. From a simple model of the bolometric light curve of SN 2007bi we estimate a total ejected 56Ni mass of MNi = 3.5-4.5 $M_\odot$, the largest 56Ni mass measured in the ejecta of a supernova to date. There are two models that could explain the high luminosity and large ejected 56Ni mass. One is a pair-instability supernova (PISN) which has been predicted to occur for massive stars at low metallicities. We measure the host galaxy metallicity of SN 2007bi to be 12+log(O/H) = 8.15 ± 0.15 (on the McGaugh 1991 scale) which is somewhat high to be consistent with the PISN model. An alternative is the core-collapse of a C+O star of 20-40 $M_{\odot}$ which is the core of a star of originally 50-100 $M_{\odot}$.
The planetary nebula stage is the ultimate fate of stars with masses one to eight times that of the Sun (M(⊙)). The origin of their complex morphologies is poorly understood, although several ...mechanisms involving binary interaction have been proposed. In close binary systems, the orbital separation is short enough for the primary star to overfill its Roche lobe as the star expands during the asymptotic giant branch phase. The excess gas eventually forms a common envelope surrounding both stars. Drag forces then result in the envelope being ejected into a bipolar planetary nebula whose equator is coincident with the orbital plane of the system. Systems in which both stars have ejected their envelopes and are evolving towards the white dwarf stage are said to be double degenerate. Here we report that Henize 2-428 has a double-degenerate core with a combined mass of ∼1.76M(⊙), which is above the Chandrasekhar limit (the maximum mass of a stable white dwarf) of 1.4M(⊙). This, together with its short orbital period (4.2 hours), suggests that the system should merge in 700 million years, triggering a type Ia supernova event. This supports the hypothesis of the double-degenerate, super-Chandrasekhar evolutionary pathway for the formation of type Ia supernovae.
A weeklong workshop in Brazil in August 2004 provided the opportunity for 28 scientists from southern South America to examine daily rainfall observations to determine changes in both total and ...extreme rainfall. Twelve annual indices of daily rainfall were calculated over the period 1960 to 2000, examining changes to both the entire distribution as well as the extremes. Maps of trends in the 12 rainfall indices showed large regions of coherent change, with many stations showing statistically significant changes in some of the indices. The pattern of trends for the extremes was generally the same as that for total annual rainfall, with a change to wetter conditions in Ecuador and northern Peru and the region of southern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and northern and central Argentina. A decrease was observed in southern Peru and southern Chile, with the latter showing significant decreases in many indices. A canonical correlation analysis between each of the indices and sea surface temperatures (SSTs) revealed two large-scale patterns that have contributed to the observed trends in the rainfall indices. A coupled pattern with ENSO-like SST loadings and rainfall loadings showing similarities with the pattern of the observed trend reveals that the change to a generally more negative Southern Oscillation index (SOI) has had an important effect on regional rainfall trends. A significant decrease in many of the rainfall indices at several stations in southern Chile and Argentina can be explained by a canonical pattern reflecting a weakening of the continental trough leading to a southward shift in storm tracks. This latter signal is a change that has been seen at similar latitudes in other parts of the Southern Hemisphere. A similar analysis was carried out for eastern Brazil using gridded indices calculated from 354 stations from the Global Historical Climatology Network (GHCN) database. The observed trend toward wetter conditions in the southwest and drier conditions in the northeast could again be explained by changes in ENSO.
We address the general problem of the luminosity-specific planetary nebula (PN) number, better known as the ‘α’ ratio, given by α=NPN/Lgal, and its relationship with the age and metallicity of the ...parent stellar population. Our analysis relies on population synthesis models that account for simple stellar populations (SSPs), and more elaborate galaxy models covering the full star formation range of the different Hubble morphological types. This theoretical framework is compared with the updated census of the PN population in Local Group (LG) galaxies and external ellipticals in the Leo group, and the Virgo and Fornax clusters. The main conclusions of our study can be summarized as follows. According to the post-asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stellar core mass, PN lifetime in a SSP is constrained by three relevant regimes, driven by the nuclear (Mcore≳ 0.57 M⊙), dynamical (0.57 M⊙≳Mcore≳ 0.55 M⊙) and transition (0.55 M⊙≳Mcore≳ 0.52 M⊙) time-scales. The lower limit for Mcore also sets the minimum mass for stars to reach the AGB thermal-pulsing phase and experience the PN event. Mass loss is the crucial mechanism to constrain the value of α, through the definition of the initial-to-final mass relation (IFMR). The Reimers mass-loss parametrization, calibrated on Pop II stars of Galactic globular clusters, poorly reproduces the observed value of α in late-type galaxies, while a better fit is obtained using the empirical IFMR derived from white dwarf observations in the Galaxy open clusters. The inferred PN lifetime for LG spirals and irregulars exceeds 10 000 yr, which suggests that Mcore≲ 0.65 M⊙ cores dominate, throughout. The relative PN deficiency in elliptical galaxies, and the observed trend of α with galaxy optical colours, support the presence of a prevailing fraction of low-mass cores (Mcore≲ 0.55 M⊙) in the PN distribution and a reduced visibility time-scale for the nebulae as a consequence of the increased AGB transition time. The stellar component with Mcore≲ 0.52 M⊙, which overrides the PN phase, could provide an enhanced contribution to hotter HB and post-HB evolution, as directly observed in M 32 and the bulge of M 31. This implies that the most UV-enhanced ellipticals should also display the lowest values of α, as confirmed by the Virgo cluster early-type galaxy population. Any blue-straggler population, invoked as progenitor of the Mcore≳ 0.7 M⊙ PNe in order to preserve the constancy of the bright luminosity-function cut-off magnitude in ellipticals, must be confined to a small fraction (a few per cent at most) of the whole galaxy PN population.
ABSTRACT
The long-standing difference in chemical abundances determined from optical recombination lines and collisionally excited lines raises questions about our understanding of atomic physics, as ...well as the assumptions made when determining physical conditions and chemical abundances in astrophysical nebulae. Here, we study the recombination contribution of O iii 4363 and the validity of the line ratio O iii 4363/4959 as a temperature diagnostic in planetary nebulae with a high abundance discrepancy. We derive a fit for the recombination coefficient of O iii 4363 that takes into account the radiative and dielectronic recombinations, for electron temperatures from 200 to 30 000 K. We estimate the recombination contribution of O iii 4363 for the planetary nebulae Abell 46 and NGC 6778 by subtracting the collisional contribution from the total observed flux. We find that the spatial distribution for the estimated recombination contribution in O iii 4363 follows that of the O ii 4649 recombination line, both peaking in the central regions of the nebula, especially in the case of Abell 46 that has a much higher abundance discrepancy. The estimated recombination contribution reaches up to 70 and 40 per cent of the total O iii 4363 observed flux, for Abell 46 and NGC 6778, respectively.
We present X-ray spectral analysis of 20 point-like X-ray sources detected in Chandra Planetary Nebula Survey observations of 59 planetary nebulae (PNe) in the solar neighborhood. Most of these 20 ...detections are associated with luminous central stars within relatively young, compact nebulae. The vast majority of these point-like X-ray-emitting sources at PN cores display relatively "hard" (> or =, slanted0.5 keV) X-ray emission components that are unlikely to be due to photospheric emission from the hot central stars (CSPN). Instead, we demonstrate that these sources are well modeled by optically thin thermal plasmas. From the plasma properties, we identify two classes of CSPN X-ray emission: (1) high-temperature plasmas with X-ray luminosities, LX, that appear uncorrelated with the CSPN bolometric luminosity, L sub(bol) and (2) lower-temperature plasmas with L sub(X)/L sub(bol) ~ 10 super(-7). We suggest these two classes correspond to the physical processes of magnetically active binary companions and self-shocking stellar winds, respectively. In many cases this conclusion is supported by corroborative multiwavelength evidence for the wind and binary properties of the PN central stars. By thus honing in on the origins of X-ray emission from PN central stars, we enhance the ability of CSPN X-ray sources to constrain models of PN shaping that invoke wind interactions and binarity.
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