Digging Deep: The X-ray Spectrum of a Planetary Nebula at High Resolution

Details Digging Deep: The X-ray Spectrum of a Planetary Nebula at High Resolution Digging Deep: The X-ray Spectrum of a Planetary Nebula at High Resolution

Sep 2006

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006head....9.1843k&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, HEAD meeting #9, #18.43; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 38, p.388

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

Scientific paper

Imaging spectroscopy of planetary nebulae by Chandra and XMM has broken open the study of very high temperature gas in these objects, while raising new questions --- such as the origin of the superheated plasma --- that can only be addressed via high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy. To this end, we have used the Chandra X-ray Observatory Low Energy Transmission Gratings (LETG) in combination with the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS) to obtain the first X-ray gratings spectrum of a planetary nebula: the well-studied, young, X-ray-luminous BD +30 3639. The LETG/ACIS spectrum of the compact ( 5'' diameter), diffuse X-ray source within BD +30 3639 displays prominent and well-resolved emission lines of H-like C, O, and Ne and He-like O and Ne. Initial modeling indicates a plasma temperature Tx 2.7x106 K, strongly enhanced C and Ne, and sharply depleted Fe and N (relative to O). These results indicate that the X-ray-emitting plasma originates with a shocked, fast, s-process-enriched wind emanating from layers originally buried deep within the progenitor star. In addition to shedding light on the role of wind-wind interactions in shaping planetary nebulae, the LETG/ACIS X-ray spectrum of BD +30 3639 thereby provides new constraints on the astrophysically important processes of nucleosynthesis and convective dredge-up of nuclear processed material during the late stages of stellar evolution of intermediate-mass (1-8 Msun) stars.
This research is supported by NASA via Chandra Award GO5--6008X issued to R.I.T. by the CXO Center, which is operated on behalf of NASA by Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory under contract NAS8--03060.

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