arXiv subjects

D. J. Frew

Publications and source records attributed to D. J. Frew.

34 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2011

A barium central star binary in the Type-I diamond ring planetary nebula Abell 70

Abell 70 (PN G038.1-25.4, hereafter A 70) is a planetary nebula (PN) known for its diamond ring appearance due a superposition with a background galaxy. The previously unstudied central star is found to be a binary consisting of a G8IV-V secondary at optical wavelengths and a hot white dwarf (WD) at UV wavelengths. The secondary shows Ba II and Sr II features enhanced for its spectral type that, combined with the chromospheric Halpha emission and possible 20-30 km/s radial velocity amplitude, firmly classifies the binary as a Barium star. The proposed origin of Barium stars is intimately linked to PNe whereby wind accretion pollutes the companion with dredged-up material rich in carbon and s-process elements when the primary is experiencing thermal pulses on the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB). A 70 provides further evidence for this scenario together with the other very few examples of Barium central stars. The nebula is found to have Type-I chemical abundances with helium and nitrogen enrichment, which when combined with future abundance studies of the central star, will establish A 70 as a unique laboratory for studying s-process AGB nucleosynthesis. We also discuss guidelines to discover more binary central stars with cool secondaries in large orbits that are required to balance our knowledge of binarity in PNe against the currently better studied post common-envelope binary central stars.

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arXiv2011

A pilot study of the radio-continuum emission from MASH planetary nebulae

We report an Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) radio-continuum observations of 26 planetary nebulae (PNe) at wavelengths of 3 and 6 cm. This sample of 26 PNe were taken from the Macquarie/AAO/Strasbourg Halpha PNe (MASH) catalogue and previous lists. We investigate radio detection quality including measured and derived parameters for all detected or marginally detected PNe from this combined sample. Some 11 objects from the observed sample have been successfully detected and parametrized. Except for one, all detected PNe have very low radio surface brightnesses. We use a statistical distance scale method to calculate distances and ionised masses of the detected objects. Nebulae from this sample are found to be large (>0.2 pc in diameter) and highly diluted which indicates old age. For 21 PNe from this sample we list integrated Halpha fluxes and interstellar extinction coefficients, either taken from the literature or derived here from the Balmer decrement and radio to Halpha ratio methods. Finally, our detected fraction of the MASH pilot sample is relatively low compared to the non-MASH sub-sample. We conclude that future radio surveys of the MASH sample must involve deeper observations with better uv coverage in order to increase the fraction of detected objects and improve the quality of the derived parameters.

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arXiv2011

A new Planetary Nebula in the outer reaches of the Galaxy

A proper determination of the abundance gradient in the Milky Way requires the observation of objects at large galactiocentric distances. With this aim, we are exploring the planetary nebula population towards the Galactic Anticentre. In this article, the discovery and physico-chemical study of a new planetary nebula towards the Anticentre direction, IPHASX J052531.19+281945.1 (PNG 178.1-04.0), is presented. The planetary nebula was discovered from the IPHAS survey. Long-slit follow-up spectroscopy was carried out to confirm its planetary nebula nature and to calculate its physical and chemical characteristics. The newly discovered planetary nebula turned out to be located at a very large galactocentric distance (D_GC=20.8+-3.8 kpc), larger than any previously known planetary nebula with measured abundances. Its relatively high oxygen abundance (12+log(O/H) = 8.36+-0.03) supports a flattening of the Galactic abundance gradient at large galactocentric distances rather than a linearly decreasing gradient.

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arXiv2011

The influence of binarity on dust obscuration events in the planetary nebula M 2-29 and its analogues

The central star of the planetary nebula (CSPN) M 2-29 shows an extraordinary R Coronae Borealis-like fading event in its optical lightcurve. The only other CSPN to show these events are CPD-568032 (Hen 3-1333) and V651 Mon (NGC 2346). Dust cloud formation in the line of sight appears responsible but the exact triggering mechanism is not well understood. Understanding how planetary nebulae (PNe) trigger dust obscuration events may help understand the same process in a wide range of objects including Population-I WC9 stars, symbiotic stars and perhaps Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars with long secondary periods (LSPs). A binary scenario involving an eccentric, wide companion that triggers dust formation via interaction at periastron is a potential explanation that has been suggested for LSP variables. Model fits to the lightcurves of CPD-568032 and M 2-29 show the dust forms in excess of 70 AU at the inner edge of a dust disk. In the case of CPD-568032 this radius is far too large to coincide with a binary companion trigger, although a binary may have been responsible for the formation of the dust disk. We find no direct evidence to support previous claims of binarity in M 2-29 either from the OGLE lightcurve or deep medium-resolution VLT FLAMES spectroscopy of the CSPN. We classify the CSPN as Of(H) with T_eff=50+-10 kK and log g=4.0+-0.3. We find a mean distance of 7.4+-1.8 kpc to M 2-29 at which the M_V=-0.9 mag CSPN could potentially hide a subgiant luminosity or fainter companion. A companion would help explain the multiple similarities with D'-type symbiotic stars whose outer nebulae are thought to be bona-fide PNe. The 7.4 kpc distance, oxygen abundance of 8.3 dex and Galactic coordinates (l=4.0, b=-3.0) prove that M 2-29 is a Galactic Bulge PN and not a Halo PN as commonly misconceived.

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arXiv2010

Radio-continuum detections of Galactic Planetary Nebulae I. MASH PNe detected in large-scale radio surveys

We present an updated and newly compiled radio-continuum data-base for MASH PNe detected in the extant large scale "blind" radio-continuum surveys (NVSS, SUMSS/MGPS-2 and PMN) and, for a small number of MASH PNe, observed and detected in targeted radio-continuum observations. We found radio counterparts for approximately 250 MASH PNe. In comparison with the percentage of previously known Galactic PNe detected in the NVSS and MGPS-2 radio-continuum surveys and according to their position on the flux density-angular diameter and the radio brightness temperature evolutionary diagrams we conclude, unsurprisingly, that the MASH sample presents the radio-faint end of the known Galactic PNe population. Also, we present radio-continuum spectral properties of a small sub-sample of MASH PNe located in the strip between declinations -30arcdeg and -40arcdeg, that are detected in both the NVSS and MGPS-2 radio surveys.

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arXiv2010

The Necklace: equatorial and polar outflows from the binary central star of the new planetary nebula IPHASXJ194359.5+170901

IPHASXJ194359.5+170901 is a new high-excitation planetary nebula with remarkable characteristics. It consists of a knotty ring expanding at a speed of 28 km/s, and a fast collimated outflow in the form of faint lobes and caps along the direction perpendicular to the ring. The expansion speed of the polar caps is 100 km/s, and their kinematical age is twice as large as the age of the ring. Time-resolved photometry of the central star of IPHASXJ194359.5+170901 reveals a sinusoidal modulation with a period of 1.16 days. This is interpreted as evidence for binarity of the central star, the brightness variations being related to the orbital motion of an irradiated companion. This is supported by the spectrum of the central star in the visible range, which appears to be dominated by emission from the irradiated zone, consisting of a warm (6000-7000 K) continuum, narrow C III, C IV, and N III emission lines, and broader lines from a flat H I Balmer sequence in emission. IPHASXJ194359.5+170901 helps to clarify the role of (close) binaries in the formation and shaping of planetary nebulae. The output of the common-envelope evolution of the system is a strongly flattened circumstellar mass deposition, a feature that seems to be distinctive of this kind of binary system. Also, IPHASXJ194359.5+170901 is among the first post-CE PNe for which the existence of a high-velocity polar outflow has been demonstrated. Its kinematical age might indicate that the polar outflow is formed before the common-envelope phase. This points to mass transfer onto the secondary as the origin, but alternative explanations are also considered.

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arXiv2010

IPHAS extinction distances to Planetary Nebulae

The determination of reliable distances to Planetary Nebulae (PNe) is one of the major limitations in the study of this class of objects in the Galaxy. The availability of new photometric surveys such as IPHAS covering large portions of the sky gives us the opportunity to apply the "extinction method" to determine distances of a large number of objects. The technique is applied to a sample of 137 PNe located between -5 and 5 degrees in Galactic latitude, and between 29.52 and 215.49 degrees in longitude. The characteristics of the distance-extinction method and the main sources of errors are carefully discussed. The data on the extinction of the PNe available in the literature, complemented by new observations, allow us to determine extinction distances for 70 PNe. A comparison with statistical distance scales from different authors is presented.

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arXiv2008

A planetary nebula around nova V458 Vul undergoing flash ionization

Nova V458 Vul erupted on 2007 August 8th and reached a visual magnitude of 8.1 a few days later. H$α$ images obtained six weeks before the outburst as part of the IPHAS galactic plane survey reveal an 18th magnitude progenitor surrounded by an extended nebula. Subsequent images and spectroscopy of the nebula reveal an inner nebular knot increasing rapidly in brightness due to flash ionization by the nova event. We derive a distance of 13 kpc based on light travel time considerations, which is supported by two other distance estimation methods. The nebula has an ionized mass of 0.2 M$_{\odot}$ and a low expansion velocity: this rules it out as ejecta from a previous nova eruption, and is consistent with it being a ~14,000 year old planetary nebula, probably the product of a prior common envelope (CE) phase of evolution of the binary system. The large derived distance means that the mass of the erupting WD component of the binary is high. We identify two possible evolutionary scenarios, in at least one of which the system is massive enough to produce a Type Ia supernova on merging.

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arXiv2008

Star cluster kinematics with AAOmega

The high-resolution setup of the AAOmega spectrograph on the Anglo-Australian Telescope makes it a beautiful radial velocity machine, with which one can measure velocities of up to 350-360 stars per exposure to +/-1--2 km/s in a 2-degree field of view. Here we present three case studies of star cluster kinematics, each based on data obtained on three nights in February 2008. The specific aims included: (i) cluster membership determination for NGC 2451A and B, two nearby open clusters in the same line-of-sight; (ii) a study of possible membership of the planetary nebula NGC 2438 in the open cluster M46; and (iii) the radial velocity dispersion of M4 and NGC 6144, a pair of two globular clusters near Antares. The results which came out of only three nights of AAT time illustrate very nicely the potential of the instrument and, for example, how quickly one can resolve decades of contradiction in less than two hours of net observing time.

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arXiv2008

AAOmega radial velocities rule out current membership of the planetary nebula NGC 2438 in the open cluster M46

We present new radial velocity measurements of 586 stars in a one-degree field centered on the open cluster M46, and the planetary nebula NGC 2438 located within a nuclear radius of the cluster. The data are based on medium-resolution optical and near-infrared spectra taken with the AAOmega spectrograph on the Anglo-Australian Telescope. We find a velocity difference of about 30 km/s between the cluster and the nebula, thus removing all ambiguities about the cluster membership of the planetary nebula caused by contradicting results in the literature. The line-of-sight velocity dispersion of the cluster is 3.9+/-0.3 km/s, likely to be affected by a significant population of binary stars.

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arXiv2007

MASH-II: More Planetary Nebulae from the AAO/UKST HαSurvey

We present a supplement to the Macquarie/AAO/Strasbourg H$α$ planetary nebulae (PNe) catalogue (MASH), which we denote MASH-II. The supplement consists of over 300 true, likely and possible new Galactic PNe found after re-examination of the entire AAO/UKST H$α$ survey of the southern Galactic Plane in digital form. We have spectroscopically confirmed over 240 of these new candidates as bona-fide PNe and we include other high quality candidates awaiting spectroscopic confirmation as possible PNe. These latest discoveries largely comprise two distinct groups: small, star-like or moderately resolved PNe at one end and mostly large, extremely low surface brightness PNe at the other. Neither group were easy to discover from simple visual scrutiny of the original survey exposures as for MASH but were relatively straightforward to uncover from the digital images via application of semi-automated discovery techniques. We suspect the few PNe still hidden in the H$α$ survey will lie outside our search criteria or be difficult to find.

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arXiv2007

Multi-wavelength study of a new Galactic SNR G332.5-5.6

We present compelling evidence for confirmation of a Galactic supernova remnant (SNR) candidate, G332.5-5.6, based initially on identification of new, filamentary, optical emission line nebulosity seen in the arcsecond resolution images from the AAO/UKST HAlpha survey. The extant radio observations and X-ray data which we have independently re-reduced, together with new optical spectroscopy of the large-scale fragmented nebulosity, confirms the identification. Optical spectra, taken across five different, widely separated nebula regions of the remnant as seen on the HAlpha images, show average ratios of [NII]/HAlpha =2.42, [SII]/HAlpha = 2.10, and [SII] 6717/6731 = 1.23, as well as strong [OI] 6300, 6364A and [OII] 3727A emission. These ratios are firmly within those typical of SNRs. Here, we also present the radio-continuum detection of the SNR at 20/13cm from observations with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA). Radio emission is also seen at 4850 MHz, in the PMN survey (Griffith and Wright 1993) and at 843 MHz from the SUMSS survey (Bock, Large and Sadler 1999). We estimate an angular diameter of ~30 arcmin and obtain an average radio spectral index of alpha = -0.6 +- 0.1 which indicates the non-thermal nature of G332.5-5.6. Fresh analysis of existing ROSAT X-ray data in the vicinity also confirms the existence of the SNR. The distance to G332.5-5.6 has been independently estimated by Reynoso and Green (2007) as 3.4 kpc based on measurements of the HI lambda21 cm line seen in absorption against the continuum emission. Our cruder estimates via assumptions on the height of the dust layer (3.1 kpc) and using the Sigma-D relation (4 kpc) are in good agreement.

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arXiv2006

The "Principes de Asturias" nebula: a new quadrupolar planetary nebula from the IPHAS survey

The Isaac Newton Telescope Photometric H-alpha Survey (IPHAS) is currently mapping the Northern Galactic plane reaching to r'=20 mag with typically 1" resolution. Hundreds of Planetary Nebulae (PNe), both point-like and resolved, are expected to be discovered. We report on the discovery of the first new PN from this survey: it is an unusual object located at a large galactocentric distance and has a very low oxygen abundance. The nebula shows an intricate morphology: there is an inner ring surrounding the central star, bright inner lobes with an enhanced waist, and very faint lobular extensions reaching up to more than 100". We classify it as a quadrupolar PN, a rather unusual class of planetary showing two pairs of misaligned lobes. From long-slit spectroscopy we derive Te[NII] =12800+-1000K, Ne = 390+-40 cm-3, and chemical abundances typical of Peimbert's Type I nebulae (He/H =0.13, N/O =1.8) with an oxygen abundance of 12 + log(O/H)=8.17+-0.15. A kinematic distance of 7.0 kpc is derived, implying an unusually large size of >4 pc for the nebula. The photometry of the central star indicates the presence of a relatively cool companion. This, and the evidence for a dense circumstellar disk and quadrupolar morphology, all of which are rare among PNe, support the hypothesis that this morphology is related to binary interaction.

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arXiv2006

An Optical Emission Line Survey of Large Planetary Nebulae

Accurate emission line fluxes from planetary nebulae (PNe) provide important constraints on the nature of the final phases of stellar evolution. Large, evolved PNe may trace the latest stages of PN evolution, where material from the AGB wind is returned to the interstellar medium. However, the low surface brightness and spatially extended emission of large PNe have made accurate measurements of line fluxes difficult with traditional long-slit spectroscopic techniques. Furthermore, distinguishing these nebulae from HII regions, supernova remnants, or interstellar gas ionized by a hot, evolved stellar core can be challenging. Here, we report on an ongoing survey of large Galactic PNe (r > 5') with the Wisconsin H-Alpha Mapper (WHAM), a Fabry-Perot spectrograph designed to detect faint diffuse optical emission lines with high sensitivity and spectral resolution. Our sample includes newly revealed H-alpha enhancements from the AAO/UKST and WHAM H-alpha surveys of Parker et al. and Haffner et al. We present accurate emission line fluxes of H-alpha, [NII], and [OIII], and compare our data to other measurements. We use the emission line ratios and kinematics of the ionized gas to assess, or in some cases reassess, the identification of some nebulae.

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arXiv2005

The Aao/Ukst Supercosmos H-alpha Survey (SHS)

The UK Schmidt Telescope (UKST) of the Anglo-Australian Observatory completed a narrow-band H-alpha plus [NII] 6548, 6584A survey of the Southern Galactic Plane and Magellanic Clouds in late 2003. The survey, which was the last UKST wide-field photographic survey, and the only one undertaken in a narrow band, is now an on-line digital data product of the Wide-Field Astronomy Unit of the Royal Observatory Edinburgh (ROE). The survey utilised a high specification, monolithic H-alpha interference band-pass filter of exceptional quality. In conjunction with the fine grained Tech-Pan film as a detector it has produced a survey with a powerful combination of area coverage (4000 square degrees), resolution (~1 arcsecond) and sensitivity (<=5 Rayleighs), reaching a depth for continuum point sources of R~20.5. The main survey consists of 233 individual fields on a grid of centres separated by 4 degrees at declinations below +2 degrees and covers a swathe approximately 20 degrees wide about the Southern Galactic Plane. The original survey films were scanned by the SuperCOSMOS measuring machine at the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh to provide the on-line digital atlas called the SuperCOSMOS H-alpha Survey (SHS). We present the background to the survey, the key survey characteristics, details and examples of the data product, calibration process, comparison with other surveys and a brief description of its potential for scientific exploitation.

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arXiv2004

PFP 1: A Large Annular Planetary Nebula Caught in the First Stages of ISM Interaction

This paper presents (H-alpha + [NII]) imaging and spectroscopy of a previously unknown, highly evolved planetary nebula of low excitation. It was discovered serendipitously from AAO/UKST H-alpha Survey images as part of a project to exploit the survey data and has evaded detection by previous surveys due to very low surface brightness. It is a remarkably annular planetary nebula, some 19' across, making it one of the largest examples of its type. We estimate a radius of 1.5 pc and a distance of 550pc as derived from a new H-alpha surface brightness - radius relation. PFP 1 has near perfect circular symmetry, broken only at the NW edge which is coupled with significantly increased (H-alpha + [NII]) intensity. This indicates an early stage of an interaction with the interstellar medium. A blue central star candidate has been identified from the SuperCOSMOS Sky Survey data.

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