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Physical Properties of the Central Stars of Planetary Nebulae in the Magellanic Clouds

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2017

T.P. Stecher
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Astronomy and Solar Physics, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA
S.P. Maran
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Astronomy and Solar Physics, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA
T.R. Gull
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Astronomy and Solar Physics, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA
L. H. Aller
Affiliation:
Department of Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
M. P. Savedoff
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, New York, USA

Extract

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Absolute flux distributions in the ultraviolet continua of the central stars of three planetary nebulae of known distances have been derived from observations made with the International Ultraviolet Explorer. The observations confirm the existence of planetary nebulae nuclei with masses of ≈1M and indicate that the progenitors of the nebulae were carbon stars near the theoretical upper luminosity threshold of Mbol = −6.5. The derived masses, luminosities, and temperatures of the three stars indicate that they are currently on horizontal tracks in the HR diagram and probably have not yet attained their maximum luminosities. The present luminosities (≈ 4 × 104 L) each are well above the Eddington luminosity for an 0.6 Mo star. The derived properties of the stars and associated nebulae (LMC P40, SMC N2, SMC N5) are consistent with a nebular ejection mechanism that involves radiation pressure on carbon grains.

Type
Abstracts of Contributed Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Reidel 1983