arXiv subjects

Albert Zijlstra

Publications and source records attributed to Albert Zijlstra.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Detection of C$_{60}$ Combination Bands in the Near-IR Spectrum of Tc 1

We report the detection of a set of new near-infrared emission features between 3.5 and 5.2 ${\mu}$m in JWST/NIRSpec observations of Tc 1, the planetary nebula known for displaying the cleanest and most prominent mid-infrared cosmic fullerene spectrum. These broad features share the same spatial distribution as the well-known C$_{60}$ and C$_{70}$ mid-infrared emission bands, peaking in an asymmetric ring approximately 5-6" from the central star. Through comparison with new anharmonic quantum chemical calculations, we demonstrate that these features arise from C$_{60}$ combination bands, marking their first detection in an astrophysical environment. The total energy radiated in the combination bands amounts to ~17% of the total energy emitted from all C$_{60}$ modes, with direct implications for fullerene cooling models. These near-infrared combination bands offer a promising new window for identifying and studying the molecular astrophysics of C$_{60}$ in sources where mid-infrared spectra are more complex.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2026

Current Unsolved Problems in Planetary Nebulae Research

While there has been significant progress in our understanding of the origin and evolu-tion of planetary nebulae in the last 50 years, there remain several unsolved problems. These include the true 3D morphological structure of the nebulae, origin of multipolar nebulae, the dust and molecular distribution relative to the optical nebulosity, large-scale structures outside of the main nebulae, the relevance of binarity to planetary nebulae evolution, and a precise definition of the planetary nebula phenomenon. The long-standing problem of elemental abundance discrepancy still remains unsolved. In this paper, we summarize current observations related to these problems and present possible future directions to tackle them.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2026

Detection of CO$_2$ ice in the planetary nebula NGC 6302

Using JWST/MIRI observations, we report the detection of CO$_2$ ice in the dusty torus of the planetary nebula NGC 6302, an environment generally considered hostile to fragile molecular species and ices due to intense UV irradiation. This detection accompanies cold (20-50 K) gas-phase CO$_2$ along the same sightlines. The ice absorption profile exhibits a double-peak profile, a characteristic of pure, crystalline CO$_2$ ice. The CO$_2$ gas-to-ice ratio is more than an order of magnitude higher than in young stellar objects, pointing to distinct ice formation or processing mechanisms in evolved stellar environments. This discovery demonstrates that the dusty torus provides sufficient shielding to harbour ice chemistry, and that ice-mediated surface reactions must be incorporated into chemical models of planetary nebulae.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2025

JWST observations of the Ring Nebula (NGC 6720) -- II. PAH emission

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and carbonaceous dust have been observed in clumpy circumstellar environments, yet their formation and evolutionary pathways in such environments remain elusive. We aim to characterize the PAH emission in a clumpy planetary nebula to decipher their formation and evolution pathways. We obtained JWST Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) integral field unit spectroscopic observations of two individual knots in the Ring Nebula (NGC 6720), a clumpy planetary nebula, and determine the PAH spectral characteristics. We detect the 3.3 and 11.2 um PAH emission bands in both knots but do not detect PAH emission in the 6-9 um range. We supplement our data with Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) Short-Low 1 (SL1) and SL2 data, containing 11.2, weak 6.2, and weak 7.7 um PAH emission bands. The JWST data confirm the unusual profile of the 11.2 um band, which is very broad and redshifted with respect to typical 11.2 um PAH profiles. We estimate the PAH population to be largely neutral. The relative integrated surface brightness of the 3.3 and 11.2 um bands indicates the presence of small-sized PAHs, consisting of 35 +/- 6 carbon atoms. We find that the PAH emission is concentrated outside of the clumps, in the inter-clump medium, and confirm the existence of enhanced PAH emission in a narrow 'PAH ring' centred on the central star. This morphology suggests that PAHs formed during the Ring Nebula's asymptotic giant branch phase, in the central star's dust-driven wind.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

Exploration of groups and outliers in Gaia RVS stellar spectra with metric learning

The Gaia mission is transforming our view of the Milky Way by providing distances towards a billion stars, and much more. The third data release includes nearly a million spectra from its Radial Velocity Spectrometer (RVS). Identifying unexpected features in such vast datasets presents a significant challenge. It is impossible to visually inspect all of the spectra and difficult to analyze them in a comprehensive way. In order to supplement traditional analysis approaches, and in order to facilitate deeper insights from these spectra, we present a new dataset together with an interactive portal that applies established self-supervised metric learning techniques, dimensionality reduction, and anomaly detection, to allow researchers to visualize, analyze, and interact with the Gaia RVS spectra in straightforward but under-utilized manner. We demonstrate a few example interactions with the dataset, examining groupings and the most unusual RVS spectra, according to our metric. This combination of methodology and public availability enables broader exploration, and may reveal yet-to-be-discovered stellar phenomena.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

FAST search for circumstellar atomic hydrogen. III. Planetary nebulae at Galactic latitudes |b|>10degree

The detection of circumstellar atomic hydrogen (\ion{H}{1}) via the 21\,cm line remains a persistent challenge in planetary nebula (PN) studies, primarily due to contamination from ubiquitous interstellar \ion{H}{1} 21\,cm emission. In this paper, we report the results of a \ion{H}{1} survey of 12 high surface brightness PNe located at Galactic latitudes $|b|\geq10\arcdeg$, performed with the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST), which is currently the most sensitive telescope in the $L$ band. Although the contamination from interstellar emission is still severe, we detect or tentatively detect circumstellar \ion{H}{1} 21\,cm absorption associated with two PNe: NGC\,6905 and NGC\,7662. \ion{H}{1} exhibits a comparatively high detection frequency in bipolar PNe. We estimate the \ion{H}{1} masses of the two PNe to range from 0.01 to 0.14 $M_{\sun}$, resulting in atomic-to-ionized hydrogen ratios of 0.02--0.3. The \ion{H}{1} shells have dynamical ages of 2100--2400 years. Our measurements confirm previous findings that the optical depth of \ion{H}{1} decreases with increasing linear radius of the nebula. The mass loss rates traced by the \ion{H}{1} absorption are larger than 10$^{-5}$\,M$_\sun$ yr$^{-1}$, indicating that they originate from the superwind phase at the tip of the asymptotic giant branch.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2025

JWST observations of the Ring Nebula (NGC 6720): III. A dusty disk around its Central Star

The planetary nebula NGC 6720, also known as the ``Ring Nebula", is one of the most iconic examples of nearby planetary nebulae whose morphologies present a challenge to our theoretical understanding of the processes that govern the deaths of most stars in the Universe that evolve on a Hubble time. We present new imaging with JWST of the central star of this planetary nebula (CSPN) and its close vicinity, in the near- to mid-IR wavelength range. We find the presence of a dust cloud around the CSPN, both from the spectral energy distribution at wavelengths >~5 micron, as well as radially-extended emission in the 7.7, 10 and 11.3 micron images. From modeling of these data, we infer that the CSPN has a luminosity of 310 Lsun and is surrounded by a dust cloud with a size of ~2600 au, consisting of relatively small amorphous silicate dust grains (radius ~0.01 micron) with a total mass of 1.9 x 10^(-6) M_earth. However, our best-fit model shows a significant lack of extended emission at 7.7 micron -- we show that such emission can arise from a smaller (7.3 x 10^(-7) M_earth) but uncertain mass of (stochastically-heated) ionized PAHs. However, the same energetic radiation also rapidly destroys PAH molecules, suggesting that these are most likely being continuously replenished, via the outgassing of cometary bodies and/or the collisional grinding of planetesimals. We also find significant photometric variability of the central source that could be due to the presence of a close dwarf companion of mass < ~0.1 Msun.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

The Structure of the Molecular Envelope of the Ring Nebula (NGC 6720)

We present the first interferometric imaging of molecular line emission from the Ring Nebula, NGC~6720, in the form of Submillimeter Array (SMA) observations of CO $J=2\rightarrow 1$ emission. The SMA $^{12}$CO(2--1) mapping data, with $\sim$3$''$ spatial resolution and 2 km s$^{-1}$ velocity resolution, provide an unprecedentedly detailed, 3D view of the Ring's clumpy molecular envelope. The morphology of the velocity-integrated SMA $^{12}$CO(2--1) image closely resembles those of near-IR H$_2$ and PAH emission in JWST/NIRCam imaging of NGC~6720, with the molecular gas forming a geometrically thin layer surrounding the ionized gas imaged by HST and JWST. A simple, geometrical model of the $^{12}$CO(2--1) data shows that the intrinsic structure of NGC~6720's molecular envelope closely resembles a truncated, triaxial ellipsoid that is viewed close to pole-on, and that the dynamical age of the molecular envelope is $\sim$6000 yr. The SMA $^{12}$CO(2--1) data furthermore reveal that filamentary features seen projected in the Ring's interior in JWST imaging are in fact fast-moving polar knots or bullets with radial velocities of $\pm$45--50 km s$^{-1}$ relative to systemic, and that the hot progenitor star remnant is positioned at the precise geometric center of the clumpy, ellipsoidal molecular shell. We assert that the Ring's molecular envelope was formed via a relatively sudden, AGB-terminating mass ejection event $\sim$6000 yr ago, and that this ellipsoidal envelope was then punctured by fast, collimated polar outflows resulting from interactions between the progenitor and one or more companion stars. Such an evolutionary scenario may describe most molecule-rich, ``Ring-like'' planetary nebulae.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2024

Machine learning based stellar classification with highly sparse photometry data

Identifying stars belonging to different classes is vital in order to build up statistical samples of different phases and pathways of stellar evolution. In the era of surveys covering billions of stars, an automated method of identifying these classes becomes necessary. Many classes of stars are identified based on their emitted spectra. In this paper, we use a combination of the multi-class multi-label Machine Learning (ML) method XGBoost and the PySSED spectral-energy-distribution fitting algorithm to classify stars into nine different classes, based on their photometric data. The classifier is trained on subsets of the SIMBAD database. Particular challenges are the very high sparsity (large fraction of missing values) of the underlying data as well as the high class imbalance. We discuss the different variables available, such as photometric measurements on the one hand, and indirect predictors such as Galactic position on the other hand. We show the difference in performance when excluding certain variables, and discuss in which contexts which of the variables should be used. Finally, we show that increasing the number of samples of a particular type of star significantly increases the performance of the model for that particular type, while having little to no impact on other types. The accuracy of the main classifier is ~0.7 with a macro F1 score of 0.61. While the current accuracy of the classifier is not high enough to be reliably used in stellar classification, this work is an initial proof of feasibility for using ML to classify stars based on photometry.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2024

Searching for radio late-type dwarf stars in the GLEAM-X DR1 catalog

We have developed a new method of multi-wavelength data combination for the search of late-type radio dwarfs, and have put it into practice using GLEAM-X DR1 data. The initial sample is selected by cross-matching the Gaia/DR3 objects with the probability of being a star no less than 99$\%$, and removing the extragalactic objects assigned by the SIMBAD database. The late-type dwarf stars are judged according to their location in the $(BP-RP)_0/M_{\rm G}$ color-magnitude diagram and in the $(J-H)_0/(K-W1)_0$ near-infrared color-color diagram. Furthermore, stellar activity is searched by ultraviolet excess in the GALEX/NUV band and the Rossby number in the TESS light curves. In total, 12 stars are found to be late-type dwarf stars associated with radio source, which is consisted of five stars with the UV excess and seven stars with the Rossby number less than 0.13. Three of these 12 stars are previously studied to be associated with radio objects. All these 12 stars are considered to be reliable counterparts of radio sources.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2024

Sakurai's object: a [WC] star in a new bipolar nebula after a VLTP

Optical spectra of the Very Late Thermal Pulse (VLTP) object V4334 Sgr have shown a rapidly changing spectrum resulting from shocks in the outflow, which created a new bipolar nebula inside the old nebula. We see C II and C III emission lines emerging typical of a [WC 11-10]-type star. The strong increase of [O III] and [S III] emission lines indicate the possible onset of photoionisation in the new ejecta.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2024

High-Speed Outflows and Dusty Disks during the AGB to PN Transition: The PANORAMA survey

As mass-losing asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars evolve to planetary nebulae (PNe), the mass outflow geometries transform from nearly spherical to extreme aspherical. The physical mechanisms governing this transformation are widely believed to be linked to binarity and the associated production of disks and fast jets during transitional (post-AGB) evolutionary stages. We are carrying out a systematic ALMA survey ($P$re-planet$A$ry $N$ebulae high-angular-res$O$lution su$R$vey with $A$L$MA$ or PANORAMA) of a representative sample of bipolar and multipolar post-AGB objects. We have obtained high angular-resolution (0".1-0".4) observations of the CO(3--2) and/or 6--5 emission in order to probe the spatio-kinematic structure of the collimated outflows and the central disk/torii. The results are remarkable, generally showing the presence of bipolar or multipolar high-velocity outflows, dense toroidal waists, and in one case, a geometrically-thin circular ring around the central bipolar nebula. A high degree of point-symmetry characterizes the morphology of the mass ejecta. In this contribution, we present these and other highlights from our survey. We aim to use 2D/3D radiative transfer modeling in order to derive accurate outflow momenta, masses and mass-loss rates for our sample, and build hydrodynamical models that can explain the observed spatio-kinematic structures. These results will then be used to distinguish between different classes of PN-shaping binary interaction models.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2024

FAST detection of OH emission in the carbon-rich planetary nebula NGC 7027

We present the first detection of the ground-state OH emission line at 1612 MHz toward the prototypical carbon-rich planetary nebula (PN) NGC 7027, utilizing the newly installed ultra-wideband (UWB) receiver of the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST). This emission is likely to originate from the interface of the neutral shell and the ionized region. The other three ground-state OH lines at 1665, 1667, and 1721 MHz are observed in absorption and have velocities well matched with that of HCO$^+$ absorption. We infer that the OH absorption is from the outer shell of NGC 7027, although the possibility that they are associated with a foreground cloud cannot be completely ruled out. All the OH lines exhibit a single blue-shifted component with respect to the central star. The formation of OH in carbon-rich environments might be via photodissociation-induced chemical processes. Our observations offer significant constraints for chemical simulations, and they underscore the potent capability of the UWB receiver of FAST to search for nascent PNe.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2024

SMC-Last Extracted Photometry

We present point-source photometry from the Spitzer Space Telescope's final survey of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). We mapped 30 square degrees in two epochs in 2017, with the second extending to early 2018 at 3.6 and 4.5 microns using the Infrared Array Camera. This survey duplicates the footprint from the SAGE-SMC program in 2008. Together, these surveys cover a nearly 10 yr temporal baseline in the SMC. We performed aperture photometry on the mosaicked maps produced from the new data. We did not use any prior catalogs as inputs for the extractor in order to be sensitive to any moving objects (e.g., foreground brown dwarfs) and other transient phenomena (e.g., cataclysmic variables or FU Ori-type eruptions). We produced a point-source catalog with high-confidence sources for each epoch as well as combined-epoch catalog. For each epoch and the combined-epoch data, we also produced a more complete archive with lower-confidence sources. All of these data products will be available to the community at the Infrared Science Archive.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2024

Diverse Science from VLT imagery and spectroscopy of PNe in the Galactic Bulge

We have undertaken a deep investigation of a well defined sample of 136 PNe located in a 10x10 degree central region of the Galactic Bulge observed with the ESO VLT and supplemented by archival HST imagery. These studies have provided precise morphologies, major axes position angles and the most robust sample of consistently derived chemical abundances available to date. Using these data we have statistically confirmed, at 5-sigma, the precise PNe population that provides the PNe alignment of major axes previously suggested in the Galactic Bulge, revealed a partial solution to the sulfur anomaly and uncovered interesting morphological, abundance and kinematic features. We summarise the most significant findings here with detailed results appearing in a series of related publications.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2023

The heart of Sakurai's Object revealed by ALMA

We present high angular-resolution observations of Sakurai's object using the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, shedding new light on its morpho-kinematical structure. The millimetre continuum emission, observed at an angular resolution of 20 milliarcsec (corresponding to 70 AU), reveals a bright compact central component whose spectral index indicates that it composed of amorphous carbon dust. Based on these findings, we conclude that this emission traces the previously suggested dust disc observed in mid-infrared observations. Therefore, our observations provide the first direct imaging of such a disc. The H$^{12}$CN($J$=4$\rightarrow$3) line emission, observed at an angular resolution of 300 milliarcsec (corresponding to 1000 AU), displays bipolar structure with a north-south velocity gradient. From the position-velocity diagram of this emission we identify the presence of an expanding disc and a bipolar molecular outflow. The inclination of the disc is determined to be $i$=72$^\circ$. The derived values for the de-projected expansion velocity and the radius of the disc are $v_{\rm exp}$=53 km s$^{-1}$ and $R$=277 AU, respectively. On the other hand, the de-projected expansion velocity of the bipolar outflow detected in the H$^{12}$CN($J$=4$\rightarrow$3) emission of approximately 1000 km s$^{-1}$. We propose that the molecular outflow has an hourglass morphology with an opening angle of around 60$^{\circ}$. Our observations unambiguously show that an equatorial disc and bipolar outflows formed in Sakurai's object in less than 30 years after the born-again event occurred, providing important constraints for future modelling efforts of this phenomenon.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2023

Estimation of the flux at 1450MHz of OB stars for FAST and SKA

Radio observation is crucial to understanding the wind mechanism of OB stars but very scarce. This work estimates the flux at 1450MHz ($S_{\rm 1.4GHz}$) of about 5,000 OB stars identified by the LAMOST spectroscopic survey and confirmed by the Gaia astrometric as well as astrophysical measurements. The calculation is performed under the free-free emission mechanism for wind with the mass loss rate derived from stellar parameters. The estimated $S_{\rm 1.4GHz}$ distributes from $10^{-11}$Jy to $10^{-3}$Jy with the peak at about $10^{-8}$Jy. This implies that the complete SKA-II can detect more than half of them, and some tens of objects are detectable by FAST without considering source confusion. An array of FAST would increase the detectable sample by two orders of magnitude.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2023

FAST search for circumstellar atomic hydrogen. II. Is BD+303639 an interacting planetary nebula?

The young, compact, very high surface brightness but low excitation planetary nebula (PN) BD+303639 is one of the very few PNe that have been reported to exhibit the 21cm HI emission line. As part of a long-term programme to search for circumstellar atomic hydrogen, we observed the 21cm feature toward BD+303639 with the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST). Assuming a direct association between the PN and the detected HI emission, these new observations show that this surrounding emission is significantly more spatially extended than indicated by previous interferometric observations, and can be resolved into two velocity components. The estimated HI mass is larger than 100M_sun, invalidating an origin from the host star itself or its ejecta for the emitting material. We discuss the possibility that the extended HI emission stems from the interstellar medium (ISM) swept out over time by the stellar wind. Moreover, we report tentative detections of HI absorption features lying near and blueward of the systemic velocity of this PN, which are probably from a stalled asterosphere at the outer boundary of the expanding ionized region. The mass of the gas producing the HI absorption is insufficient to solve the so-called `PN missing mass problem'. We demonstrate the capability of FAST to investigate the interaction process between a PN and the surrounding ISM.

astro-ph.SR↗