Subscribe to the gold package and get unlimited access to Shamra Academy
Register a new userNew models for the evolution of central stars of planetary nebulae: Faster and Brighter
67
0
0.0
(
0
)
Added by
Marcelo Miguel Miller Bertolami
Publication date
2016
fields
Physics
and research's language is
English
Authors
Marcelo M. Miller Bertolami
Ask ChatGPT about the research
No Arabic abstract
The post-asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase is arguably one of the least understood phases of the evolution of low- and intermediate- mass stars. The recent post-AGB evolutionary sequences computed by Miller Bertolami (2016) are at least three to ten times faster than those previously published by Vassiliadis & Wood (1994) and Bloecker (1995) which have been used in a large number of studies. This is true for the whole mass and metallicity range. The new models are also $sim$0.1-0.3 dex brighter than the previous models with similar remnant masses. In this short article we comment on the main reasons behind these differences, and discuss possible implications for other studies of post-AGB stars or planetary nebulae.
rate research
Read More
The evolution of central stars of planetary nebulae was so far documented in just a few cases. However, spectra collected a few decades ago may provide a good reference for studying the evolution of central stars using the emission line fluxes of their nebulae. We investigated evolutionary changes of the [OIII] 5007 A line flux in the spectra of planetary nebulae. We compared nebular fluxes collected during a decade or longer. We used literature data and newly obtained spectra. A grid of Cloudy models was computed using existing evolutionary models, and the models were compared with the observations. An increase of the [OIII] 5007 A line flux is frequently observed in young planetary nebulae hosting H-rich central stars. The increasing nebular excitation is the response to the increasing temperature and hardening radiation of the central stars. We did not observe any changes in the nebular fluxes in the planetary nebulae hosting late-type Wolf-Rayet (WR) central stars. This may indicate a slower temperature evolution (which may stem from a different evolutionary status) of late-[WR] stars. In young planetary nebulae with H-rich central stars, the evolution can be followed using optical spectra collected during a decade or longer. The observed evolution of H-rich central stars is consistent with the predictions of the evolutionary models provided in the literature. Late-[WR] stars possibly follow a different evolutionary path.
Fast line-driven stellar winds play an important role in the evolution of planetary nebulae. We provide global hot star wind models of central stars of planetary nebulae. The models predict wind structure including the mass-loss rates, terminal velocities, and emergent fluxes from basic stellar parameters. We applied our wind code for parameters corresponding to evolutionary stages between the asymptotic giant branch and white dwarf phases. We study the influence of metallicity and wind inhomogeneities (clumping) on the wind properties. Line-driven winds appear very early after the star leaves the asymptotic giant branch (at the latest for $T_rm{eff}approx10,$kK) and fade away at the white dwarf cooling track (below $T_rm{eff}=105,$kK). Their mass-loss rate mostly scales with the stellar luminosity and, consequently, the mass-loss rate only varies slightly during the transition from the red to the blue part of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. There are the following two exceptions to the monotonic behavior: a bistability jump at around $20,$kK, where the mass-loss rate decreases by a factor of a few (during evolution) due to a change in iron ionization, and an additional maximum at about $T_rm{eff}=40-50,$kK. On the other hand, the terminal velocity increases from about a few hundreds of $rm{km},rm{s}^{-1}$ to a few thousands of $rm{km},rm{s}^{-1}$ during the transition as a result of stellar radius decrease. The wind terminal velocity also significantly increases at the bistability jump. Derived wind parameters reasonably agree with observations. The effect of clumping is stronger at the hot side of the bistability jump than at the cool side. Derived fits to wind parameters can be used in evolutionary models and in studies of planetary nebula formation. A predicted bistability jump in mass-loss rates can cause the appearance of an additional shell of planetary nebula.
While most of the low-mass stars stay hydrogen-rich on their surface throughout their evolution, a considerable fraction of white dwarfs as well as central stars of planetary nebulae have a hydrogen-deficient surface composition. The majority of these H-deficient central stars exhibit spectra very similar to massive Wolf-Rayet stars of the carbon sequence, i.e. with broad emission lines of carbon, helium, and oxygen. In analogy to the massive Wolf-Rayet stars, they are classified as [WC] stars. Their formation, which is relatively well understood, is thought to be the result of a (very) late thermal pulse of the helium burning shell. It is therefore surprising that some H-deficient central stars which have been found recently, e.g. IC 4663 and Abell 48, exhibit spectra that resemble those of the massive Wolf-Rayet stars of the nitrogen sequence, i.e. with strong emission lines of nitrogen instead of carbon. This new type of central stars is therefore labelled [WN]. We present spectral analyses of these objects and discuss the status of further candidates as well as the evolutionary status and origin of the [WN] stars.
Context. There are more than 3000 confirmed and probable known Galactic planetary nebulae, but central star spectroscopic information is available for only 13% of them. Aims. We undertook a spectroscopic survey of central stars of PNe to identify their spectral types. Methods. We performed spectroscopic observations, at low resolution, with the 2-m telescope at CASLEO, Argentina. Results. We present the spectra of 46 central stars of PNe, most of them are OB-type and emission-line stars.
The age distribution of the central stars of planetary nebulae (CSPN) is estimated using two methods based on their kinematic properties. First, the expected rotation velocities of the nebulae at their Galactocentric distances are compared with the predicted values for the rotation curve, and the differences are attributed to the different ages of the evolved stars. Adopting the relation between the ages and the velocity dispersions determined by the Geneva-Copenhagen survey, the age distribution can be derived. Second, the U, V, W, velocity components of the stars are determined, and the corresponding age-velocity dispersion relations are used to infer the age distribution. These methods have been applied to two samples of PN in the Galaxy. The results are similar for both samples, and show that the age distribution of the PN central stars concentrates in ages lower than 5 Gyr, peaking at about 1 to 3 Gyr.
Log in to be able to interact and post comments
comments
Fetching comments
Sign in to be able to follow your search criteria
