Computer Science
Scientific paper
Jul 2006
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006hst..prop11308d&link_type=abstract
HST Proposal ID #11308. Cycle 15
Computer Science
Scientific paper
Four planetary nebulae PNe have been found within 130 of the 150 globular clusters GCs of our Galaxy. This might not seem like many, but stellar evolution predicts that the old populations of these clusters should contain no PN at all! Observations of three of the four GC PNe show them to have peculiar characteristics, possibly indicative of a binary/merger origin. In particular two of the three observed GC PNe have masses which correspond to main sequence masses ~2-3 times the clusters' turn-off masses, sugesting mergers of two, or even three stars have taken place. One of the three observed PNe is H-deficient, a characteristic exhibited by only 5 out of hundreds of field PNe. H-deficient PNe have been associated with binarity. As usual, not all parameters for these three PNe are clean indications of their binary origin. In this proposal we ask to obtain WFPC2/WFC observations of the only GC PN that has never been observed before at high resolution and whose central star has never been detected. This objects could tip the balance toward a binary interpretation for the GC PNe or make us seriously reconsider our understanding of stellar evolution in old populations. HST is essential for the task since this PN is tiny and the clusters it lives in is crowded. Our request to use DD time for this proposal was encouraged by the Telescope Time Review Board after they denied an instrument change request for our cancelled ACS/WFC program. The denial resulted from a substantial change in observing strategy which was deemed too complex not to be reviewd by a TAC.;
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