No description available.

New detections of HNC have been made toward 11 planetary nebulae (PNe), including K4-47, K3-58, K3-17, M3-28, and M4-14. These sources, which represent a wide range of ages and morphologies, had previously been observed in HCN by Schmidt & Ziurys. Measurements of the J = 1 -> 0 and J = 3 -> 2 transitions of HNC near 90 and 271 GHz were conducted using the new 12 m and the Sub-Millimeter Telescope of the Arizona Radio Observatory. HCN and HNC were also identified via their J = 1 -> 0 lines toward eight positions across the Helix Nebula (NGC 7293). Column densities for HNC, determined from radiative transfer modeling, were N-tot(HNC) similar to (0.06-4.0) x 10(13) cm(-2), corresponding to fractional abundances with respect to H-2 of f similar to (0.02-1.4) x 10(-7). The HCN and HNC column densities across the Helix were found to be N-tot (HCN) similar to (0.2-2.4). x. 10(12) cm(-2) and Ntot (HNC) similar to (0.07-1.6). x. 1012 cm(-2), with fractional abundances of (0.2-3.2) x 10(-7) and (0.09-2.2) x 10(-7). The [ HCN]/[ HNC] ratio varied between similar to 1-8 for all PNe, with [ HCN]/[ HNC] similar to 1-4 across the Helix. These values are greatly reduced from what has been found in asymptotic giant branch stars, where the ratio is typically > 100. Both the abundance of HNC and the [ HCN]/[ HNC] ratio do not appear to vary significantly with nebular age across a time span of similar to 10,000 years, in contrast to predictions of chemical models. The increase in HNC appears to arise in the proto-planetary stage, but becomes " frozen" once the PN phase is reached.

Nebulosas planetárias são o resultado do processo de evolução estelar de estrelas com massas que vão de 0.8 a 8 massas solares; seu estudo possibilita uma melhor compreensão dos mecanismos de enriquecimento do meio interestelar por parte destas estrelas e a sua influência direta na evolução química da Galáxia. O uso da espectroscopia de campo integral possibilita o estudo da distribuição angular de propriedades como a densidade, as abundâncias iônicas, o perfil de ionização entre outras; já a espectroscopia de alta dispersão permite um estudo detalhado do campo de velocidades destes objetos, com velocidades típicas de expansão de 25km/s. Este trabalho é baseado nestas duas técnicas, com o objetivo de se obter a distribuição de diversos parâmetros físicos, apresentados aqui na forma de mapas e de diagramas, para uma amostra de nebulosas planetárias austrais. Os dados foram adquiridos utilizando a instrumentação do Observatório do Pico dos Dias (MCT/LNA), em duas missões realizadas em 2011 e 2012, usando respectivamente os espectrógrafos Eucalyptus e Coudé. Os resultados mostram a distribuição angular da densidade eletrônica, do fluxo das linhas do [SIII](6311A) e H, e também a distribuição da razão [SIII](6311A)/[SII](6717+6731A). Estes resultados salientam as regiões com maior grau de ionização, gradientes de ionização e inomogeneidades. Diagramas de diagnóstico são também mostrados a fim de complementar a análise e classificar os objetos. Os perfis cinemáticos também obtidos permitiram o estudo morfológico da amostra, detalhando suas estruturas. Os campos de velocidades foram usados para o cálculo da idade cinemática assim como a distância de uma das nebulosas da amostra. Os resultados obtidos são bons dados de entrada para futuras simulações morfo-cinemáticas que podem ser feitas utilizando softwares como o SHAPE, além de também serem possíveis simulações com códigos de fotoionização para a obtenção de modelos complementares. Os resultados em si são importantes tendo em vista a falta de informações a respeito da estrutura de planetárias austrais, já que não há nenhum grande levantamento morfológico como os existentes para as nebulosas boreais. / Planetary nebulae are the result of the stellar evolution process for stars from 0.8 to 8 solar masses; their study allows a better understanding of the enrichment mechanisms of interstellar medium by these stars, and their influence to the chemical evolution of the Galaxy. The use of integral field spectroscopy allows the study of the angular distribution of properties like density, chemical abundances and ionization profiles among others; on the other hand, high dispersion spectroscopy allows a detailed study of the velocity fields of these objects, with typical expansion velocity of 25km/s. This work is based on these two techniques; and aims to obtain the distribution of several physical parameters, presented here in the format of maps and diagrams. Data were acquired using the instrumentation from Pico dos Dias Observatory (MCT/LNA), in two missions performed in 2011 and 2012, using respectively the Eucalyptus and Coudé spectrographs. The results show the angular distribution of the electronic density, the flux of [SIII](6311A) and H alpha lines, and the distribution of the [SIII](6311A)/[SII](6717+ 6731A) ratio. These results highlight the regions with higher degree of ionization, ionization gradients and inhomogeneities. Diagnostics diagrams are shown too, aiming to complement the analysis and classify the objects. Kinematic profiles were also obtained and allowed the morphological study of the sample, detailing the structure of the objects. The velocity fields were used to calculate the kinematical age as well as the distance of one nebula of the sample. These results are a good start for future morpho-kinematic simulations. They can be used in softwares like SHAPE, and also in simulations with photoionization codes to obtain additional models. The results are also important in view of the rarity of information about structure of southern planetary nebulae, since there is no large survey such as those existing to the northern planetary nebulae.

No description available.

This thesis examines three core-collapse supernova remnants (SNR) - the Cygnus Loop in the Milky Way and 0453-68.5 and 0540-69.3 in the Large Magellanic Cloud - of varying ages and in varying states of interaction with the surrounding interstellar medium (ISM), using X-ray imaging spectroscopy with Chandra and supplemental data from other wavelengths. We use results from our analysis to address three main questions. First, we examine the applicability of the common Sedov-Taylor adiabatic blast wave model to core-collapse supernovae. Second, we determine the elemental abundances around the shell of these supernova remnants to determine if the use of SNRs as a gauge of abundances in the ISM is justified. Finally, we examine the pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) in 0453-68.5 and 0540-69.3 and search for evidence of interaction between these PWNe and their immediate surroundings. We see highly inhomogeneous ISM surrounding all three surveyed SNRs, contrary to the key assumption in the Sedov-Taylor model of a uniform surrounding medium. In all three studied SNRs, we find that shock speeds are dependent on the density of the surrounding material. As subsidiary results, we also find depleted elemental abundances of oxygen, magnesium, and silicon, relative to typical ISM, around all three studied supernova remnants. Although this subsidiary result is not conclusive, we believe that it merits a followup study. In 0540-69.3 and 0453-68.5, which contain central pulsars, we find that the explosion directionality, which can be inferred from the pulsar's proper motion relative to the SNR, is not related to the morphology of the SNR itself. We conclude from this that the asymmetric shapes common in core-collapse supernova remnants can be more a function of the complex environments surrounding the progenitors of core- collapse supernovae than of the supernova explosions themselves. Finally, we see that the PWN in 0453-68.5 shows signs of having mixed with the surrounding thermal- emitting material, while the PWN in 0540-69.3 appears to have not mixed with or interacted with the surrounding SNR material to any substantial degree. We believe that this result may indicate that the degree of interaction between a PWN and its surroundings is dependent on age and possibly shell morphology, although further study is needed.

Thesis (M.Sc. (Physics & Electronics)) - Rhodes University, 2008.

Nebulosas planetárias são o resultado do processo de evolução estelar de estrelas com massas que vão de 0.8 a 8 massas solares; seu estudo possibilita uma melhor compreensão dos mecanismos de enriquecimento do meio interestelar por parte destas estrelas e a sua influência direta na evolução química da Galáxia. O uso da espectroscopia de campo integral possibilita o estudo da distribuição angular de propriedades como a densidade, as abundâncias iônicas, o perfil de ionização entre outras; já a espectroscopia de alta dispersão permite um estudo detalhado do campo de velocidades destes objetos, com velocidades típicas de expansão de 25km/s. Este trabalho é baseado nestas duas técnicas, com o objetivo de se obter a distribuição de diversos parâmetros físicos, apresentados aqui na forma de mapas e de diagramas, para uma amostra de nebulosas planetárias austrais. Os dados foram adquiridos utilizando a instrumentação do Observatório do Pico dos Dias (MCT/LNA), em duas missões realizadas em 2011 e 2012, usando respectivamente os espectrógrafos Eucalyptus e Coudé. Os resultados mostram a distribuição angular da densidade eletrônica, do fluxo das linhas do [SIII](6311A) e H, e também a distribuição da razão [SIII](6311A)/[SII](6717+6731A). Estes resultados salientam as regiões com maior grau de ionização, gradientes de ionização e inomogeneidades. Diagramas de diagnóstico são também mostrados a fim de complementar a análise e classificar os objetos. Os perfis cinemáticos também obtidos permitiram o estudo morfológico da amostra, detalhando suas estruturas. Os campos de velocidades foram usados para o cálculo da idade cinemática assim como a distância de uma das nebulosas da amostra. Os resultados obtidos são bons dados de entrada para futuras simulações morfo-cinemáticas que podem ser feitas utilizando softwares como o SHAPE, além de também serem possíveis simulações com códigos de fotoionização para a obtenção de modelos complementares. Os resultados em si são importantes tendo em vista a falta de informações a respeito da estrutura de planetárias austrais, já que não há nenhum grande levantamento morfológico como os existentes para as nebulosas boreais. / Planetary nebulae are the result of the stellar evolution process for stars from 0.8 to 8 solar masses; their study allows a better understanding of the enrichment mechanisms of interstellar medium by these stars, and their influence to the chemical evolution of the Galaxy. The use of integral field spectroscopy allows the study of the angular distribution of properties like density, chemical abundances and ionization profiles among others; on the other hand, high dispersion spectroscopy allows a detailed study of the velocity fields of these objects, with typical expansion velocity of 25km/s. This work is based on these two techniques; and aims to obtain the distribution of several physical parameters, presented here in the format of maps and diagrams. Data were acquired using the instrumentation from Pico dos Dias Observatory (MCT/LNA), in two missions performed in 2011 and 2012, using respectively the Eucalyptus and Coudé spectrographs. The results show the angular distribution of the electronic density, the flux of [SIII](6311A) and H alpha lines, and the distribution of the [SIII](6311A)/[SII](6717+ 6731A) ratio. These results highlight the regions with higher degree of ionization, ionization gradients and inhomogeneities. Diagnostics diagrams are shown too, aiming to complement the analysis and classify the objects. Kinematic profiles were also obtained and allowed the morphological study of the sample, detailing the structure of the objects. The velocity fields were used to calculate the kinematical age as well as the distance of one nebula of the sample. These results are a good start for future morpho-kinematic simulations. They can be used in softwares like SHAPE, and also in simulations with photoionization codes to obtain additional models. The results are also important in view of the rarity of information about structure of southern planetary nebulae, since there is no large survey such as those existing to the northern planetary nebulae.

This thesis reports the calibration, imaging and analysis of one epoch of VLBA observations of the 1612 MHz OH maser emission from the protoplanetary nebula OH 0.9+1.3. These are the first polarisation VLBI observations of this source and the spatial morphology of the OH emission is resolved on this scale. Proto-planetary nebulae represent the transition phase in the evolution of stars between the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase and their emergence as planetary nebulae. A long-standing astronomical question is how the predominantly spherical circumstellar envelopes of AGB stars evolve into the bipolar and axisymmetric structures that are commonly observed in planetary nebula. Proto-planetary nebulae offer a unique opportunity to study this transformation process. The high-resolution VLBI maps produced in this thesis were used to investigate the morphology and kinematics of OH 0.9+1.3 with a view to gaining insight into the development of asymmetries in the circumstellar material. The OH maser emission of OH 0.9+1.3 has a double-peaked profile with one peak blue-shifted and the other red-shifted with respect to the stellar velocity. The total intensity maser maps demonstrate a considerable degree of asymmetry with the blue- and red-shifted emission located in spatially distinct regions of the envelope. The blue-shifted emission is distributed preferentially along an axis at a projected position angle of » 135± ( North through East). The morphology of this source is not consistent with the standard symmetric thin-shell model and an attempt to fit the traditional OH/IR kinematic model of a simple expanding shell to the maser components was found to be unsatisfactory. No definitive evidence of a bipolar outflow was observed either. The high degree of asymmetry observed in the source is consistent with its status as a proto-planetary nebula. The source was imaged in all four Stokes parameters and the fractional linear and circular polarisations of the maser components were derived from the Stokes parameter maps. In all except one of the components the total fractional polarisation was found to be low ( < 15%). The mean fractional linear and circular polarisation were calculated to be 5.54% and 7.11% respectively. The absence of an identifiable Zeeman pair in the Stokes V map prohibited the estimation of the magnetic field in the circumstellar envelope of this source.

Central star binarity is often invoked as the main driver behind the shaping of aspherical planetary nebulae, however observational support for this hypothesis is lacking. This work presented in this thesis attempts to observationally test this theory by investigating the relationship between central star binarity and nebular morphology for several planetary nebulae. The discovery of six new binary central star systems is also reported. A detailed spatio-kinematical analysis of Abell 41 was performed, showing the nebula to have a bipolar morphology waisted by a toroidal structure, the symmetry axis of which is found to be perpendicular to the plane of the central binary. This alignment is exactly as predicted, indicating that the central binary, MT Ser, has played a significant role in shaping Abell 41. This is only the second planetary nebulae to have had this link, between binary and nebular inclination, explicitly shown. A spatio-kinematic model has been developed for ETHOS 1, indicating that its spectacular polar outflows are kinematically older than the central region of the nebula. This finding is discussed in the context of binary evolution, and it is concluded that the polar outflows in these nebulae are probably formed before their central binaries have entered the common-envelope phase. The central star of ETHOS 1 has yet to be the subject of detailed study, and as such, the orientation of the nebula could not be compared to that of its central binary. A spatio-kinematical analysis of SuWt 2 is presented, proving that the nebular ring is in fact at the waist of a much larger, extended bipolar structure. SuWt 2 is not known to contain a post-main sequence central star, required to eject and ionise the nebular shell, but rather a double A-type binary. The results of the analysis are discussed with relation to possible formation scenarios for SuWt 2. It is concluded that, while neither component of the double A-type binary could be the nebular progenitor, the presence of a third component to the system, which would have been the progenitor, cannot be ruled out. However, as there is no evidence that the central star of SuWt 2 is a binary alone, it is suggested that SuWt 2 should be removed from future lists of planetary nebulae known to host a binary central star. A sample of sixteen central stars of planetary nebulae, displaying morphological traits believed to be typical of central star binarity, were monitored for signs of periodic photometric variability associated with binarity. Six new photometrically variable close-binary stars were discovered, representing a ~15% increase on the previously known figure. The binary detection success rate from this investigation is compared to that of other surveys, and it is concluded that, while the results are promising, a more rigorous test is required to fully assess the extent to which specific morphological traits can be used as indicators of central star binarity.

New detections of CCH have been made toward nine planetary nebulae (PNe), including K4-47, K3-58, K3-17, M3-28, and M4-14. Measurements of the N = 1 -> 0 and N = 3 -> 2 transitions of this radical near 87 and 262 GHz were carried out using the new 12 m and the Sub-Millimeter Telescope (SMT) of the Arizona Radio Observatory (ARO). The presence of fine and/or hyperfine structure in the spectra aided in the identification. CCH was not observed in two PNe which are sources of C-60. The planetary nebulae with positive detections represent a wide range of ages and morphologies, and all had previously been observed in HCN and HNC. Column densities for CCH in the PNe, determined from radiative transfer modeling, were N-tot(CCH) similar to 0.2-3.3 x 10(15) cm(-2), corresponding to fractional abundances with respect to H-2 of f similar to 0.2-47 x 10(-7). The abundance of CCH was found to not vary significantly with kinematic age across a time span of similar to 10,000 years, in contrast to predictions of chemical models. CCH appears to be a fairly common constituent of PNe that are carbon-rich, and its distribution may anti-correlate with that of C-60. These results suggest that CCH may be a product of C-60 photodestruction, which is known to create C-2 units. The molecule may subsequently survive the PN stage and populate diffuse clouds. The distinct, double-horned line profiles for CCH observed in K3-45 and M3-28 indicate the possible presence of a bipolar flow oriented at least partially toward the line of sight.