8–13 μm dust emission features in Galactic bulge planetary nebulae

A sample of 25 infrared-bright planetary nebulae (PNe) towards the Galactic bulge is analysed through 8–13 μm spectroscopy. The classification of the warm dust emission features provides a measure of the C/O chemical balance, and represents the first C/O estimates for bulge PNe. Out of 13 PNe with identified dust types, four PNe have emission features associated with C-based grains, while the remaining 9 have O-rich dust signatures. The low fraction of C-rich PNe, ≲ 30 per cent, contrasts with that for local PNe, around ∼ 80 per cent, although it follows the trend for a decreasing frequency of C-rich PNe with galactocentric radius (Paper I). We investigate whether the PNe discussed here are linked to the bulge stellar population (similar to type IV, or halo, PNe) or the inner Galactic disc (a young and super-metal-rich population). Although 60 per cent of the PNe with warm dust are convincing bulge members, none of the C-rich PNe satisfies our criteria, and they are probably linked to the inner Galactic disc. In the framework of single star evolution, the available information on bulge PNe points towards a progenitor population similar in age to that of local PNe (type I PNe are found in similar proportions), but super-metal-rich (to account for the scarcity of C-rich objects). Yet the metallicities of bulge PNe, as inferred from [O/H], fail to reach the required values – except for the C-rich objects. It is likely that the sample discussed here is derived from a mixed disc/bulge progenitor population and dominated by type IV PNe, as suggested by Peimbert. The much higher fraction of O-rich PNe in this sample than in the solar neighbourhood should result in a proportionally greater injection of silicate grains into the inner Galactic medium.     

The mid-infrared colours of Galactic bulge, disc and Magellanic planetary nebulae

We present mid-infrared (MIR) photometry for 367 Galactic disc, bulge and Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) planetary nebulae (PNe), determined using data acquired with the Spitzer Space Telescope , and through the Legacy Programs GLIMPSE II (Galactic Legacy Infrared Mid-plane Survey Extraordinaire II) and SAGE (Surveying the Agents of the Galaxy's Evolution). This has permitted us to make a comparison between the luminosity functions of bulge and LMC PNe, and between the MIR colours of all three categories of source. It is determined that whilst the  3.6 μm  luminosity functions of the LMC and bulge sources are likely to be closely similar, the [3.6]–[5.8] and [5.8]–[8-0] indices of LMC nebulae are different from those of their disc and bulge counterparts. This may arise because of enhanced  6.2 μm  polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emission within the LMC sources, and/or as a result of further, and more radical differences between the spectra of LMC and Galactic PNe. We also determine that the more evolved disc sources listed in the Macquarie/AAO/Strasbourg (MASH) catalogues of Parker et al. and Miszalski et al. have similar colours to those of the less evolved (and higher surface brightness) sources in the catalogue of Acker et al., a result which appears at variance with previous studies of these sources.     

Photoionization modelling of planetary nebulae – II. Galactic bulge nebulae, a comparison with literature results

We have constructed photoionization models of five galactic bulge planetary nebulae using our automatic method, which enables a fully self-consistent determination of the physical parameters of a planetary nebula. The models are constrained using the spectrum, the IRAS and radio fluxes and the angular diameter of the nebula. We also conducted a literature search for physical parameters determined with classical methods for these nebulae. Comparison of the distance-independent physical parameters with published data shows that the stellar temperatures generally are in good agreement and can be considered reliable. The literature data for the electron temperature, electron density and also for the abundances show a large spread, indicating that the use of line diagnostics is not reliable and that the accuracy of these methods needs to be improved. Comparison of the various abundance determinations indicates that the uncertainty in the electron temperature is the main source of uncertainty in the abundance determination. The stellar magnitudes predicted by the photoionization models are in good agreement with observed values.     

The Galactic disc distribution of planetary nebulae with warm dust emission features – I

We investigate the Galactic disc distribution of a sample of planetary nebulae characterized in terms of their mid-infrared spectral features. The total number of Galactic disc PNe with 8–13 μm spectra is brought up to 74 with the inclusion of 24 new objects, the spectra of which we present for the first time. 54 PNe have clearly identified warm dust emission features, and form a sample that we use to construct the distribution of the C/O chemical balance in Galactic disc PNe. The dust emission features complement the information on the progenitor masses brought by the gas-phase N/O ratios: PNe with unidentified infrared emission bands have the highest N/O ratios, while PNe with the silicate signature have either very high N enrichment or close to none. We find a trend for a decreasing proportion of O-rich PNe towards the third and fourth Galactic quadrants. Two independent distance scales confirm that the proportion of O-rich PNe decreases from     per cent inside the solar circle to     per cent outside. PNe with warm dust are also the youngest. PNe with no warm dust are uniformly distributed in C/O and N/O ratios, and do not appear to be confined to     They also have higher 6-cm fluxes, as expected from more evolved PNe. We show that the IRAS fluxes are a good representation of the bolometric flux for compact and IR-bright PNe, which are probably optically thick. Selection of objects with     should probe a good portion of the Galactic disc for these young, dense and compact nebulae, and the dominant selection effects are rooted in the PN catalogues.     

Orientation of planetary nebulae within the Galaxy

Narrow-band CCD images of 209 axially symmetrical planetary nebulae (PNe) have been examined in order to determine the orientation of their axes within the disc of the Galaxy. The nebulae have been divided into the bipolar (B) and elliptical (E) PNe morphological types, according to the scheme of Corradi &38; Schwarz. In both classes, contrary to the results of Melnick &38; Harwit and Phillips we do not find any strong evidence for non-random orientations of the nebulae in the Galaxy. Compared with previous work in this field, the present study takes advantage of the use of larger and morphologically more homogeneous samples and offers a more rigorous statistical analysis.     

Accurate coordinates of planetary nebulae

Accurate optical coordinates of 734 PNe, measured on the charts of the Digitized Palomar Sky Survey, are presented. As a result of the discussion about the external accuracy the constants –0.8″ in RA and +0.8″ in DEC should be added to the coordinates measured by us. They were used but rounded off already in CGPN(2000). The list and measurements of new 31 candidates of central stars are given which might be interesting for stellar evolution.     

Density gradients in Galactic planetary nebulae

Certain hydrodynamic models of planetary nebulae (PNe) suggest that their shells possess appreciable radial density gradients. However, the observational evidence for such gradients is far from clear. On the one hand, Taylor et al. claim to find evidence for radio spectral indices  0.6 < α < 1.8  , a trend which is taken to imply a variation   n _e∝ r ⁻²  in most of their sample of PNe. On the other hand, Siódmiak & Tylenda find no evidence for any such variations in density; shell inhomogeneities, where they occur, are primarily attributable to 'blobs or condensations'.
It will be suggested that both of these analyses are unreliable, and should be treated with a considerable degree of caution. A new analysis within the  log( F (5 GHz)/ F (1.4 GHz))–log( T _B(5 GHz))  plane will be used to show that at least 10–20 per cent of PNe are associated with strong density gradients. We shall also show that the ratio   F (5 GHz)/ F (1.4 GHz)  varies with nebular radius; an evolution that can be interpreted in terms of varying shell masses, and declining electron densities.     

[WR] nuclei of planetary nebulae: Inferences from statistical studies of the nebulae

There are about 50 galactic planetary nebulae know to have [WR] type nuclei. We have compared their nebular properties with those of the other planetary nebulae in the Galaxy. We have found that the nebular morphological types are similarly distributed in the two groups. Bipolar nebulae constitute only 20% of the total in each group. The distribution of the nebular electron densities and abundance ratios N/O, He/H and C/O are the same in the two groups. The only marked difference is that nebular expansion velocities are larger in the group of planetary nebulae with [WR] central stars. We argue that the WR phenomenon does not preferentially occur in more massive central stars of planetary nebulae, contrary to what has been suggested in some former studies. We demonstrate that, for most of the observed [WR] type objects, the WR phenomenon cannot be triggered by a late helium shell flash event.The results of our investigation are published inAstronomy & Astrophysics 303, 893 (1995) and in the proceedings of the 2nd International Colloquium on Hydrogen-deficient Stars, C.S. Jeffery & U. Heber (eds), Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series, Vol. 96, p. 209 (1996).     

The radial distribution function in planetary nebulae

We have investigated the variation of planetary nebula number densities as a function of nebular radius, taking account of uncertainties arising from interstellar extinction. We find that the trend is composed of two components: one (a “spike” component) located at radii R < 0.035 pc, and the other (a “plateau” component) extending to larger radii. The plateau component appears to follow a Gaussian fall‐off law with scale radius R₀ = 0.28 pc. It is shown that this latter trend is not consistent with the assumption that larger shells are optically thin and density bounded. Rather, it seems likely thatmany of the larger sources have appreciable Lyman continuum optical depths and are ionization bounded. The deduced variation in N(R) then suggests that the velocities of the ionization fronts increase with radius. The nature of the spike component is less easy to fathom, and this may arise as a result of sharply lower ionization front velocities at radii R < 0.035 pc, or through contraction of the shells following a down‐turn in central star luminosities.     

The determination of progenitor masses for planetary nebulae

We have evaluated the likely progenitor masses M _PG of nebulae having elliptical, circular and bipolar morphologies, using observed ratios between the populations of these sources, and deduced central star mass functions. We find that most bipolar nebulae (BPNe) are likely to arise from progenitors having mass M _PG>2.3 M_⊙ and spectral types earlier than A3.2, whilst circular sources are associated with progenitors of mass 1.0 M_⊙< M _PG<1.2 M_⊙ and spectral range G1.9–F7.8 . Elliptical sources arise from intermediate-mass progenitors. The procedures employed to determine these values are relatively insensitive to uncertainties in scaleheights and population ratios, and completely insensitive to uncertainties in the distance scale. They are, however, dependent upon the precise forms adopted for the initial–final and central star mass functions, and we discuss the sensitivity of M _PG to uncertainties in these functions.