High Dispersion Spectra of the Young Planetary Nebula NGC 7027

Abstract

We investigated the high dispersion spectra that had been secured at the center of the planetary nebula NGC 7027 with the Bohyunsan Optical Echelle Spectrograph (BOES) on October, 20, 2009. We analyzed the forbidden lines of [OI], [SII], [OII], [NII], [ClIII], [ArIII], [OIII], [ArIV], [NeIII], [ArV], and [CaV] in the wavelength region. The expansion velocities were derived from double Gaussian line profiles of the emission lines, after eliminating the subsidiary line broadening effects. The radial variations of the expansion velocities were obtained by projecting the derived expansion velocities: onto the equatorial shell elements of the inner and the outer boundaries of the main shell of 2.5(2.1) and 3.8(3.6), according to the ionization potential of each ion. Analysis of equatorial shell spectra indicated that the equatorial shell generally expands in an accelerated velocity mode, but the expansion pattern deviates from a linear velocity growth with radial distance. NGC 7027, of which age is about 1000 years or less, might be still at its early stage. During the first few hundred years, plausibly in its early stage, the main shell of PN expands very slowly and, later, it gradually gain its normal expansion speed.