The putative nebula of the Wolf-Rayet WR 60 star: a case of mistaken identity and reclassification as a new supernova remnant G310.5+0.8

Abstract

We present narrow band AAO/UKST HAlpha images and medium and low resolution optical spectra of a nebula shell putatively associated with the Wolf-Rayet star WR 60. We also present the first identification of this shell in the radio regime at 843 MHz and at 4850 MHz from the Sydney University Molonglo Sky Survey (SUMSS), and from the Parkes-MIT-NRAO (PMN) survey respectively. This radio emission closely follows the optical emission. The optical spectra from the shell exhibits the typical shock excitation signatures sometimes seen in Wolf-Rayet stellar ejecta but also common to supernova remnants. A key finding however, is that the WR 60 star, is not, in fact, anywhere near the geometrical centre of the putative arcuate nebula ejecta as had been previously stated. This was due to an erroneous positional identification for the star in the literature which we now correct. This new identification calls into serious question any association of the nebula with WR 60 as such nebula are usually quite well centred on the WR stars themselves. We now propose that this fact combined with our new optical spectra, deeper HAlpha imaging and newly identified radio structures actually imply that the WR 60 nebula should be reclassified as an unassociated new supernova remnant which we designate G310.5+0.8.