Deduction of Planetary Nebulae Properties from Long Period Variable Precursors

Abstract

Infra-red (JHK) photometry of long period variables (LPV) in the Magellanic Clouds has shown that the LPV's can be divided into core helium burning supergiants and asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. Application of the pulsation theory allows masses to be derived for the LPV's while stellar evolution theory allows core masses to be derived for the AGB stars. By considering evolution of the LPV's in the (Mbol,P) diagram, estimates of planetary nebula mass and planetary nebula nucleus mass are derived as a function of initial mass. Spectra of the LPV's suggest that many low mass planetary nebulae in the Magellanic Clouds should be carbon rich while the more massive nebulae may be nitrogen enhanced.