Abundances Of Planetary Nebulae Research Articles

Is the sulphur anomaly in planetary nebulae caused by the s-process?

Motivated by unexplained observations of low sulphur abundances in planetary nebulae (PNe) and the PG1159 class of post asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, we investigate the possibility that sulphur may be destroyed by nucleosynthetic processes in low-to-intermediate mass stars during stellar evolution. We use a 3 Msun, Z=0.01 evolutionary sequence to examine the consequences of high and low reaction rate estimates of neutron captures onto sulphur and neighbouring elements. In addition, we have tested high and low rates for the neutron producing reactions C13(alpha,n)O16 and Ne22(alpha,n)Mg25. We vary the mass width of a partially mixed zone (PMZ), which is responsible for the formation of a C13 pocket and is the site of the C13(alpha,n)O16 neutron source. We test PMZ masses from zero up to an extreme upper limit of the entire He-intershell mass at 10^-2 Msun. We find that the alternative reaction rates and variations to the partially mixed zone have almost no effect on surface sulphur abundances and do not reproduce the anomaly. To understand the effect of initial mass on our conclusions, 1.8 Msun and 6 Msun evolutionary sequences are also tested with similar results for sulphur abundances. We are able to set a constraint on the size of the PMZ, as PMZ sizes that are greater than half of the He-intershell mass (in the 3 Msun model) are excluded by comparison with neon abundances in planetary nebulae. We compare the 1.8 Msun model's intershell abundances with observations of PG1159-035, whose surface abundances are thought to reflect the intershell composition of a progenitor AGB star. We find general agreement between the patterns of F, Ne, Si, P, and Fe abundances and a very large discrepancy for sulphur where our model predicts abundances that are 30-40 times higher than is observed in the star.

QUANTITATIVE SPECTROSCOPY OF BLUE SUPERGIANT STARS IN THE DISK OF M81: METALLICITY, METALLICITY GRADIENT, AND DISTANCE

The quantitative spectral analysis of low resolution Keck LRIS spectra of blue supergiants in the disk of the giant spiral galaxy M81 is used to determine stellar effective temperatures, gravities, metallicities, luminosites, interstellar reddening and a new distance using the Flux-weighted Gravity--Luminosity Relationship (FGLR). Substantial reddening and extinction is found with E(B-V) ranging between 0.13 to 0.38 mag and an average value of 0.26 mag. The distance modulus obtained after individual reddening corrections is 27.7+/-0.1 mag. The result is discussed with regard to recently measured TRGB and Cepheid distances. The metallicities (based on elements such as iron, titanium, magnesium) are supersolar (~0.2 dex) in the inner disk (R<=5kpc) and slightly subsolar (~ -0.05 dex) in the outer disk (R>10 kpc) with a shallow metallicity gradient of 0.034 dex/kpc. The comparison with published oxygen abundances of planetary nebulae and metallicities determined through fits of HST color-magnitude diagrams indicates a late metal enrichment and a flattening of the abundance gradient over the last 5 Gyrs. This might be the result of gas infall from metal rich satellite galaxies. Combining these M81 metallicities with published blue supergiant abundance studies in the Local Group and the Sculptor Group a galaxy mass metallicity-relationship based solely on stellar spectroscopic studies is presented and compared with recent studies of SDSS star forming galaxies.

Analysis of chemical abundances in planetary nebulae with [WC] central stars

Context. Planetary nebulae (PNe) around Wolf-Rayet [WR] central stars ([WR]PNe) constitute a particular photoionized nebula class that represents about 10% of the PNe with classified central stars.

The curious conundrum regarding sulfur and oxygen abundances in planetary nebulae

AbstractWe carefully consider numerous explanations for the sulfur abundance anomaly in planetary nebulae. No one rationale appears to be satisfactory, and we suggest that the ultimate explanation is likely to be a heretofore unidentified feature of the nebular gas which significantly impacts the sulfur ionization correction factor.

Chemical evolution models for NGC 6822 using planetary nebulae abundances

AbstractWe present chemical evolution models for the dwarf irregular NGC 6822, using chemical abundances of Planetary Nebulae (PNe) and HII regions and also the mass of gas (Mgas) as observational constraints. Chemical evolution models have been calculated to reproduce the abundances as derived from both, collisionally excited lines (CELs) and recombination lines (RLs). In our models, the chemical contribution of low and intermediate mass stars (LIMS) is time delayed, while for the massive stars the chemical contribution is instantaneous, as in Franco &amp; Carigi (2008). The chemical contribution of SNIa is included in our model, thus we are also able to reproduce the observational Fe/H abundance obtained from A stars.

Abundances in planetary nebulae: NGC 1535, NGC 6629, He2-108, and Tc1

Context. Models have been made of stars of a given mass that produce planetary nebulae that usually begin on the AGB (although they may begin earlier) and run to the white dwarf stage. While these models cover the so-called dredge-up phases when nuclear reactions occur and the newly formed products are brought to the surface, it is important to compare the abundances predicted by the models with the abundances actually observed in PNe.

The population of planetary nebulae and H II regions in M 81

We analyze the chemical abundances of planetary nebulae and HII regions in the M81 disk for insight on galactic evolution, and compare it with that of other galaxies, including the Milky Way. We acquired Hectospec/MMT spectra of 39 PNe and 20 HII regions, with 33 spectra viable for temperature and abundance analysis. Our PN observations represent the first PN spectra in M81 ever published, while several HII region spectra have been published before, although without a direct electron temperature determination. We determine elemental abundances of helium, nitrogen, oxygen, neon, sulfur, and argon in PNe and HII regions, and determine their averages and radial gradients. The average O/H ratio of PNe compared to that of the HII regions indicates a general oxygen enrichment in M81 in the last ~10 Gyr. The PN metallicity gradient in the disk of M81 is -0.055+-0.02 dex/kpc. Neon and sulfur in PNe have a radial distribution similar to that of oxygen, with similar gradient slopes. If we combine our HII sample with the one in the literature we find a possible mild evolution of the gradient slope, with results consistent with gradient steepening with time. Additional spectroscopy is needed to confirm this trend. There are no Type I PNe in our M81 sample, consistently with the observation of only the brightest bins of the PNLF, the galaxy metallicity, and the evolution of post-AGB shells. Both the young and the old populations of M81 disclose shallow but detectable negative radial metallicity gradient, which could be slightly steeper for the young population, thus not excluding a mild gradients steepening with the time since galaxy formation. During its evolution M81 has been producing oxygen; its total oxygen enrichment exceeds that of other nearby galaxies.

Planetary nebulae abundances and stellar evolution II

Context: In recent years mid- and far infrared spectra of planetary nebulae have been analysed and lead to more accurate abundances. It may be expected that these better abundances lead to a better understanding of the evolution of these objects. Aims: The observed abundances in planetary nebulae are compared to those predicted by the models of Karakas (2003) in order to predict the progenitor masses of the various PNe used. The morphology of the PNe is included in the comparison. Since the central stars play an important role in the evolution, it is expected that this comparison will yield additional information about them. Methods: First the nitrogen/oxygen ratio is discussed with relation to the helium/hydrogen ratio. The progenitor mass for each PNe can be found by a comparison with the models of Karakas. Then the present luminosity of the central stars is determined in two ways: first by computing the central star effective temperature and radius, and second by computing the nebular luminosity from the hydrogen and helium lines. This luminosity is also a function of the initial mass so that these two values of initial mass can be compared. Results: Six of the seven bipolar nebulae can be identified as descendants of high mass stars (4Msun - 6Msun) while the seventh is ambiguous. Most of the elliptical PNe have central stars which descend from low initial mass stars, although there are a few caveats which are discussed. There is no observational evidence for a higher mass for central stars which have a high carbon/oxygen ratio. The evidence provided by the abundance comparison with the models of Karakas is consistent with the HR diagram to which it is compared. In the course of this discussion it is shown how `optically thin' nebulae can be separated from those which are 'optically thick'.

ALPHA ELEMENT ABUNDANCES IN A LARGE SAMPLE OF GALACTIC PLANETARY NEBULAE

We present emission line strengths, abundances, and element ratios (X/O for Ne, S, Cl, and Ar) for a sample of 38 Galactic disk planetary nebulae (PNe) consisting primarily of Peimbert classification Type I. Spectrophotometry for these PNe incorporates an extended optical/near-IR range of 3600-9600 angstroms including the [S III] lines at 9069 and 9532. We have utilized Emission Line Spectrum Analyzer, a five-level atom abundance routine, to determine T_e, N_e, ionization correction factors, and total element abundances. With a compilation of data from >120 Milky Way PNe, we present results from our most recent analysis of abundance patterns in Galactic disk PNe. We have examined the alpha elements against H II regions and blue compact galaxies (H2BCG) to discern signatures of depletion or enhancement in PNe progenitor stars, particularly the destruction or production of O and Ne. We present evidence that many PNe have higher Ne/O and lower Ar/Ne ratios compared to H2BCGs within the range of 8.5-9.0 for 12 + log(O/H). This suggests that Ne is being synthesized in the low- and intermediate-mass progenitors. Sulfur abundances in PNe continue to show great scatter and are systematically lower than those found in H2BCG at a given metallicity. Although we find that PNe do show some distinction in alpha elements when compared to H2BCG, within the Peimbert classification types studied, PNe do not show significant differences in alpha elements amongst themselves, at least to an extent that would distinguish in situ nucleosynthesis from the observed dispersion in abundance ratios.

Heavy Element Abundances in Planetary Nebulae: A Theorist's Perspective

AbstractThe determination of heavy element abundances from planetary nebula (PN) spectra provides an exciting opportunity to study the nucleosynthesis occurring in the progenitor asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star. We perform post-processing calculations on AGB models of a large range of mass and metallicity to obtain predictions for the production of neutron-capture elements up to the first s-process peak at strontium. We find that solar metallicity intermediate-mass AGB models provide a reasonable match to the heavy element composition of Type I PNe. Likewise, many of the Se and Kr enriched PNe are well fitted by lower mass models with solar or close-to-solar metallicities. However, those objects most enriched in Krand those PN with sub-solar Se/O ratios are difficult to explain with AGB-nucleosynthesis models. Furthermore, we compute s-process abundance predictions for low-mass AGB models of very low metallicity ([Fe/H]≈−2.3) using both scaled solar and an α-enhanced initial composition. For these models, O is dredged to the surface, which means that abundance ratios measured relative to this element (e.g. X/O) do not provide a reliable measure of initial abundance ratios, or of production within the star owing to internal nucleosynthesis.

Helium abundances in planetary nebulae: Nucleosynthesis and chemical evolution

AbstractWe have obtained a large sample of PN with accurately determined helium abundances, as well as abundances of several heavy elements. The nebulae are located in the solar neighbourhood, in the galactic bulge, disk and anticentre, and in the Magellanic Clouds. The abundances are analyzed both in terms of the nucleosynthesis of intermediate mass stars and the chemical evolution of the host galaxies. In particular, correlations between the He/H ratio and the abundances of N and O are used as constraints of the nucleosynthetic processes occurring in the progenitor stars.

He, C, N, and O abundances in an ensemble of galactic planetary nebulae

The He, C, N, and O abundances in more than 120 planetary nebulae (PNe) of our Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds have been redetermined by analyzing new PNe observations. The characteristics of PNe obtained by modeling their spectra have been used to compile a new catalog of parameters for Galactic and extragalactic PNe, which is accessible at http://www.astro.spbu.ru/staff/afk/GalChemEvol.html. The errors in the parameters of PNe and their elemental abundances related to inaccuracies in the observational data have been analyzed. The He abundance is determined with an accuracy of 0.06 dex, while the errors in the C, N, and O abundances are 0.1–0.2 dex. Taking into account the inaccuracies in the corrections for the ionization stages of the elements whose lines are absent in the PNe spectra increases the errors in the He abundance to 0.1 dex and in the C, N, and O abundances to 0.2–0.3 dex. The elemental abundances in PNe of various Galactic subsystems and the Magellanic Clouds have been analyzed. This analysis suggests that the Galactic bulge objects are similar to type II PNe in Peimbert’s classification, whose progenitor stars belong to the thin-disk population with ages of at least 4–6 Gyr. A similarity between the elemental abundances in PNe of the Magellanic Clouds and the Galactic halo has been established.

Chemical abundances in planetary nebulae in three different galaxies

AbstractWe analyze the PNe chemical behavior in three different galaxies, two dwarf irregulars and one spiral. Different behaviors are found. In the very low metallicity galaxy NGC 3109, PNe analyzed appear 0.39 dex O-richer than HII regions, while Ar/H ratio is, in average, 0.15 dex poorer. We interpret this as an evidence of significant O dredge-up in these LIMS, born in a very low metallicity environment. In NGC 6822, with a present metallicity 12+log O/H=8.06, two PN populations were found. A young one, with abundances similar to those in HII regions and an old population, with metallicities a factor of two lower. In this case no strong evidence for O dredge-up in LIMS is found. Therefore, metallicities lower than 12+log O/H =7.7 are required for an efficient O dredge-up. From our preliminary analysis of the abundances of PNe in NGC 300 we find that they are similar to the abundances in HII regions. Apparently, the PNe analyzed belong to a young population. Very similar abundance gradients, with galactocentric distance, are found for HII regions and for PNe.

Abundances in planetary nebulae: NGC 2792

The mid-infrared spectrum of the rather circular planetary nebula NGC 2792 taken with the Spitzer Space Telescope is presented. This spectrum is combined with the ultraviolet IUE spectrum and with the spectrum in the visual wavelength region to obtain a complete, extinction corrected, spectrum. The chemical composition of the nebula is then calculated in two ways. First by directly calculating and adding individual ion abundances, and secondly by building a model nebula that attempts to reproduce the observed spectrum. Because it is now possible to include the nebular temperature gradient, the chemical composition is more accurate than has been given earlier in the literature. Discussion of both the central star and the evolution of the star-nebula is then given.

Improved Neutron-Capture Element Abundances in Planetary Nebulae

AbstractSpectroscopy of planetary nebulae (PNe) provides the means to investigate s-process enrichments of neutron(n)-capture elements that cannot be detected in Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars. However, accurate abundance determinations of these elements present a challenge. Corrections for unobserved ions can be large and uncertain, since in many PNe only one ion of a given n-capture element has been detected. Furthermore, the atomic data governing the ionization balance of these species are not well-determined, inhibiting the derivation of accurate ionization corrections. We present initial results of a program that addresses these challenges. Deep high-resolution optical spectroscopy of ∼20 PNe has been performed to detect emission lines from trans-iron species including Se, Br, Kr, Rb and Xe. The optical spectral region provides access to multiple ions of these elements, which reduces the magnitude and importance of uncertainties in the ionization corrections. In addition, experimental and theoretical efforts are providing determinations of the photoionization cross sections and recombination rate coefficients of Se, Kr and Xe ions. These new atomic data will make it possible to derive robust ionization corrections for these elements. Together, our observational and atomic data results will enable n-capture element abundances to be determined with unprecedented accuracy in ionized nebulae.

Are oxygen and neon enriched in PNe and is the current solar Ne/O abundance ratio underestimated?

Abstract A thorough critical literature survey has been carried out for reliable measurements of oxygen and neon abundances of planetary nebulae (PNe) and H ii regions. By contrasting the results of PNe and of H ii regions, we aim to address the issues of the evolution of oxygen and neon in the interstellar medium (ISM) and in the late evolutionary phases of low- and intermediate-mass stars (LIMS), as well as the currently hotly disputed solar Ne/O abundance ratio. Through the comparisons, we find that neon abundance and Ne/O ratio increase with increasing oxygen abundance in both types of nebulae, with positive correlation coefficients larger than 0.75. The correlations suggest different enrichment mechanisms for oxygen and neon in the ISM, in the sense that the growth of neon is delayed compared to oxygen. The differences of abundances between PNe and H ii regions are mainly attributed to the results of nucleosynthesis and dredge-up processes that occurred in the progenitor stars of PNe. We find that both these α-elements are significantly enriched at low metallicity (initial oxygen abundance ≲8.0) but not at metallicity higher than the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). The fact that Ne/O ratios measured in PNe are almost the same as those in H ii regions, regardless of the metallicity, suggest a very similar production mechanism of neon and oxygen in intermediate-mass stars (IMS) of low initial metallicities and in more massive stars, a conjecture that requires verification by further theoretical studies. This result also strongly suggests that both the solar neon abundance and the Ne/O ratio should be revised upwards by ∼0.22 dex from the Asplund, Grevesse &amp; Sauval values or by ∼0.14 dex from the Grevesse &amp; Sauval values.

Bright Planetary Nebulae and their Progenitors in Galaxies Without Star Formation

We present chemical abundances for planetary nebulae in M32, NGC 185, and NGC 205 based upon spectroscopy obtained at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope using the Multi-Object Spectrograph. From these and similar data compiled from the literature for other Local Group galaxies, we consider the origin and evolution of the stellar progenitors of bright planetary nebulae in galaxies where star formation ceased long ago. The ratio of neon to oxygen abundances in bright planetary nebulae is either identical to that measured in the interstellar medium of star-forming dwarf galaxies or at most changed by a few percent, indicating that neither abundance is significantly altered as a result of the evolution of their stellar progenitors. Several planetary nebulae appear to have dredged up oxygen, but these are the exception, not the rule. The progenitors of bright planetary nebulae typically enhance their original helium abundances by less than 50%. In contrast, nitrogen enhancements can reach factors of 100. However, nitrogen often shows little or no enhancement, suggesting that nitrogen enrichment is a random process. The helium, oxygen, and neon abundances argue that the typical bright planetary nebulae in all of the galaxies considered here are the progeny of stars with initial masses of approximately 1.5 Msun or less, based upon the nucleosynthesis predictions of current theoretical models. These models, however, are unable to explain the nitrogen enrichment or its scatter. Similar conclusions hold for the bright planetary nebulae in galaxies with ongoing star formation. Thus, though composition varies significantly, there is unity in the sense that the progenitors of typical bright planetary nebulae appear to have undergone similar physical processes. (Abridged)

Abundances in planetary nebulae: NGC 6826

Aims. We determine the chemical abundances and other parameters of the nebula NGC 6826 and its central star.

Neon and Sulfur Abundances of Planetary Nebulae in the Magellanic Clouds

The chemical abundances of neon and sulfur for 25 planetary nebulae (PNe) in the Magellanic Clouds are presented. These abundances have been derived using mainly infrared data from the Spitzer Space Telescope. The implications for the chemical evolution of these elements are discussed. A comparison with similarly obtained abundances of Galactic PNe and HII regions and Magellanic Clouds HII regions is also given. The average neon abundances are 6.0x10(-5) and 2.7x10(-5) for the PNe in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds respectively. These are ~1/3 and 1/6 of the average abundances of Galactic planetary nebulae to which we compare. The average sulfur abundances for the LMC and SMC are respectively 2.7x10(-6) and 1.0x10(-6). The Ne/S ratio (23.5) is on average higher than the ratio found in Galactic PNe (16) but the range of values in both data sets is similar for most of the objects. The neon abundances found in PNe and HII regions agree with each other. It is possible that a few (3-4) of the PNe in the sample have experienced some neon enrichment, but for two of these objects the high Ne/S ratio can be explained by their very low sulfur abundances. The neon and sulfur abundances derived in this paper are also compared to previously published abundances using optical data and photo-ionization models.

Dust masses and abundances in planetary nebulae: likely strong elemental depletion in low-abundance sources

An analysis is undertaken of the relation between dust/gas mass ratios and elemental abundances within planetary nebulae (PNe). It is found that MDUST/MGAS is broadly invariant with abundance, and similar to the values observed in asymptotic giant branch (AGB)-type stars. However, it is noted that the masses of dust observed in low-abundance PNe are similar to the masses of heavy elements observed in the gas phase. This is taken to imply that levels of elemental depletion must be particularly severe, and extend to many more species than have been identified so far. In particular, given that levels of C and O depletion are likely to be large, then this probably implies that species such as Fe, S, Si and Mg are depleted as well. There is already evidence for depletion of Fe, Si and Mg in individual PNe. It follows that whilst quoted abundances may accurately reflect gas-phase conditions, they are likely to be at variance with intrinsic abundances in low ZN nebulae. Finally, we note that there appears to be a variation in dust/gas mass ratios with galactocentric distance, with gradient similar to that observed for several elemental abundances. This may represent direct evidence for a correlation between dust/gas mass ratios and nebular abundances.