Rings and Halos in the Mid-Infrared: The Planetary Nebulae NGC 7354 and NGC 3242

Abstract

We present images of the planetary nebulae (PNe) NGC 7354 and NGC 3242 in four mid-infrared (MIR) photometric bands centred at 3.6, 4.5, 5.8 and 8.0 microns; the results of observations undertaken using the Spitzer Space Telescope (SST). The resulting images show the presence of a halo and rings in NGC 3242, as previously observed through narrow band imaging at visual wavelengths, as well as evidence for a comparable halo and ring system in NGC 7354. This is the first time that a halo and rings have been observed in the latter source. We have analysed the formation of halos as a result of radiatively accelerated mass loss in the AGB progenitors. Although the models assume that dust formation occurs in C-rich environments, we note that qualitatively similar results would be expected for O-rich progenitors as well. The model fall-offs in halo density are found to result in gradients in halo surface brightness which are similar to those observed in the visible and MIR.

19 pages, 12 figures, Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 56 pages in arXiv

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Cited by in corpus (12)

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• MIPSGAL 24 μm Observations of Galactic Planetary Nebulae
• Green Bank Telescope Observations of ${}^3\mathbf{H}{\mathbf{e}}^{+}$: Planetary Nebulae
• Spitzer Mid-Infrared Observations of Seven Bipolar Planetary Nebulae
• Outflow dynamics of dust-driven wind models and implications for cool envelopes of PNe
• Rings and arcs around evolved stars -- III. Physical conditions of the ring-like structures in the planetary nebula IC 4406 revealed by MUSE
• Structure and evolution of a tidally heated star
• Emerging planetary nebulae within 3D spiral patterns
• Mid-Infrared Observations of Planetary Nebulae detected in the GLIMPSE 3D Survey
• Low-ionization structures in planetary nebulae -- IV. The molecular hydrogen counterpart