The Correlation of PN Morphology and Parameters

Abstract

The morphology of a complete sample of 255 northern planetary nebulae (PNe) was studied and correlated with the nebular parameters. PNe were classified according to the following scheme: round (R, 25%), elliptical (E, 58% of the sample), and bipolar (B, 17%). Bipolars include the quadrupolar subsample. A subclass of pointsymmetric and multiple shell PNe was also found. Nine per cent of ellipticals and 46% of bipolars were found to be pointsymmetric. Thirty-five per cent of the round and 22% of the elliptical PNe were found to be multiple shell PNe (MSPNe). Galactic latitude was found to be different for each morphological class (|b| = 8°, 5° and 2° for types R, E, and B, respectively). Galactic height was also found to vary: 〈z〉 = 647, 276, and 100 pc for categories R, E, and B, respectively. Segregation according to the chemical abundances was also found, with helium abundances of 0.10, 0.12, and 0.14 and N/O of 0.21, 0.31, and 1.33 for types R, E, and B, respectively. Both galactic distribution and chemical abundances point to a different stellar population for each morphological class, the round and bipolar types being the result of low and high stellar mass progenitor evolution, respectively.