Expansion velocities and core masses of bright planetary nebulae in the Virgo cluster

Abstract

The line-of-sight velocities and [OIII] 5007 AA expansion velocities are measured for 11 planetary nebulae (PNs) in the Virgo cluster core, at 15 Mpc distance, with the FLAMES spectrograph on the ESO VLT. These PNs are located about halfway between the two giant ellipticals M87 and M86. From the [OIII] 5007 AA line profile widths, the average half-width at half maximum expansion velocity for this sample of 11 PNs is v_HWHM = 16.5 km/s (RMS=2.6 km/s). We use the PN subsample bound to M87 to remove the distance uncertainties, and the resulting [OIII] 5007 AA luminosities to derive the central star masses. We find these masses to be at least 0.6 M_sun and obtain PN observable life times t_PN < 2000 yrs, which imply that the bright PNs detected in the Virgo cluster core are compact, high density nebulae. We finally discuss several scenarios for explaining the high central star masses in these bright M87 halo PNs.

arXiv commentIn press on Astrophysical Journal Letters, 12 pages, 3 figures

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• Intracluster Light in the Virgo Cluster: Large Scale Distribution
• The evolution of planetary nebulae VII. Modelling planetary nebulae of distant stellar systems
• The Connection Between Diffuse Light and Intracluster Planetary Nebulae in the Virgo Cluster
• Intracluster Planetary Nebulae in the Hydra I cluster
• Discovery, Photometry, and Kinematics of Planetary Nebulae in M 82
• Planetary Nebulae Populations in External Galaxies
• The Planetary Nebulae Luminosity Function and distances to Virgo, Hydra I and Coma clusters
• Planetary Nebulae and their parent stellar populations. Tracing the mass assembly of M87 and Intracluster light in the Virgo cluster core
• Planetary Nebula Populations and Kinematics