Planetary Nebulae In Galactic Halo Research Articles

HIGH-DISPERSION SPECTRUM OF THE HALO PLANETARY NEBULA DdDm 1

Using the High Dispersion Spectrograph (HDS) at the Subaru Telescope, we secured the high-resolution line spectra in the 3600-7500 A wavelength range of the Galactic halo planetary nebula DdDm 1. We also analyzed the Hubble Space Telescope Faint Object Spectrograph data in the 1200-6730 A wavelength range. The diagnostic results indicate the electron temperatures of T {sub e}psilonapprox 11,000-14,000 K and the electron number densities of N {sub e}psilonapprox 2000-10,500 cm{sup -3}. In spite of high gaseous temperatures, we have not detected high excitation lines, e.g., He II. We derived abundance based on the ionic concentration of permitted and forbidden lines and the photoionization model. A comparison of the ionic concentrations from forbidden lines to recombination lines shows the abundance discrepancy between them. We tested various possibilities, e.g., temperature fluctuation and high-density blob components, to explain the discrepancy. The high-density components or density fluctuation might be partly responsible for the discrepancy. DdDm 1 shows a low carbon abundance that corresponds to metal-poor stars, [Fe/H] <=-1. Assuming a distance of 10 kpc to DdDm 1, theoretical models suggest that the central star has T {sub eff}approx = 39,000 K and Lapprox = 2000-3000 L {sub sun}. The relatively high gas temperaturesmore » appear to be caused by very low heavy elemental abundances or insufficient coolants in the shell gas. Its progenitor, born in an extremely carbon-poor environment as an initial mass of about 0.9 M {sub sun}, had probably experienced only the first dredge-up.« less

Endogenous oxygen in the extremely metal-poor planetary nebula PN G135.9+55.9

It is shown that, in contrast to recent claims, oxygen (and helium) may not be extraordinarily underabundant in the new galactic halo planetary nebula (GHPN) PN G135.9+55.9 (hereafter PN G135). Determining elemental abundances in hot, highly ionized objects such as PN G135 depends critically on a proper description of the collisional excitation of the hydrogen Balmer lines, the departure from Case B recombination of hydrogen, the underlying stellar absorption lines, the shape of the primary continuum and the ionization equilibrium of highly ionized species of both oxygen and neon. Conversely, PN G135 provides unique checks of atomic data in unusual conditions: the H  collision strengths obtained by Aggarwal et al. (1991) for 1s − n transitions (3 ≤ n ≤ 5) are too large, while those obtained by Anderson et al. (2002) are acceptable. Empirical collision strengths are presented for n > 5. Photoionization models of PN G135 that fit all available optical data can be demonstrated only for oxygen abundances 12 + log (O/H) > 7. 2( >1/30 solar) and values 0.6 dex larger are possible, depending on the assumed C/O abundance ratio. Plausible variations in the geometry of the nebula, the primary stellar continuum and the atomic data do not alter this conclusion. The C/O ratio is less than 10 by number and Ne/O is at most solar. A satisfactory model for PN G135 can be obtained in which elemental abundances are nearly the same as those of a new detailed model for K 648, the prototypical GHPN in the old globular cluster M 15 (with 12 + log (O/H) = 7.58 ∼ 1/13 solar), although C/O may be smaller. Nonetheless, given the paucity of argon and iron in the nebula, PN G135 is likely to be a more extreme Population II object than K 648, reinforcing the idea of an endogenous origin for part of the oxygen in very metal-poor PNe. Assuming a standard H-burning post-Asymptotic Giant Branch evolution, timescale and spectroscopic considerations lead to an optimal solution, in which the distance to PN G135 is 8 kpc, the effective temperature of the nucleus slightly less than 1.3 × 10 5 K, its luminosity 1.4 × 10 37 erg s −1 , its mass 0.59 M� , the age of the ionized shell 10 4 yrs, the ionized mass 0.05 Mand the abundances by number (H:He:C:O:Ne) = (10 6 :81 500:90:30:4.5), with C/H being rather an upper limit and O/ Ha nd Ne/H uncertain by ±0.3 and ±0.1 dex respectively. Line intensities that could be used as diagnostics of the nebular elemental abundances are provided. Detailed imaging together with ultraviolet and very deep far-red spectra of PN G135 will be essential to definitely narrow the range of acceptable parameters and help us decide whether this exceptional PN is so oxygen-poor as to possibly influence current views on stellar evolution.

Chemical abundances of a new halo planetary nebula

A new galactic-halo planetary nebula has been discovered during an objective-prism survey near the south galactic pole. The nebula, designated 108-76 deg 1, has a high-excitation spectrum and a radial velocity of +196 km/s. An abundance analysis reveals a helium content similar to that of the planetary nebula in the globular cluster M15, galactic H II regions, and OB stars; the oxygen abundance is only about 1/25 that in the sun and in young objects. The nebula is interpreted as a very old metal-deficient object, possibly reflecting the primordial helium abundance.