Abstract
Calculations are being made of the distribution of the ions of heavy elements in planetary nebulae. Initial work has been concentrated on the central or He2+ zone of planetaries. The optical depths of ions of C, N, O, and Ne have been computed using ground state ionisation cross-sections and using approximations which should be substantially better than hydrogenic. A comparison has been made between the combined optical depth of the heavy elements and the optical depth of He in the far ultraviolet. The optical depths of the heavy elements in this spectral region may become significant, but a reasonable first approximation to the radiation field may be obtained by neglecting the absorption of all ions except He+. The distribution of the ions of the heavy elements has been calculated on this assumption.
Published Version
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