Constraining the shaping mechanism of the Red Rectangle through spectro-polarimetry of its central star

Abstract

We carried out high-sensitivity spectropolarimetric observations of the central star of the Red Rectangle proto-planetary nebula with the aim of constraining the mechanism that gives its biconical shape. The stellar light of the central binary system is linearly polarised since it is scattered on the dust particles of the nebula. Surprisingly, the linear polarisation in the continuum is aligned with one of the spikes of the biconical outflow. Also, the observed Balmer lines as well as the Ca II K lines are polarised. These observational constraints are used to confirm or reject current theoretical models for the shaping mechanism of the Red Rectangle. We propose that the observed polarisation is very unlikely generated by a uniform biconical stellar wind. Also, the hypothesis of a precessing jet does not completely match the observations since it will require a jet aperture larger than that of the nebula.

arXiv commentaccepted in A&A

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• Shaping planetary nebulae with jets in inclined triple stellar systems
• An outburst powered by the merging of two stars inside the envelope of a giant
• Bipolar rings from jet-inflated bubbles around evolved binary stars
• Variable jets at the termination of the common envelope evolution
• On the eclipsing binary ELHC 10 with occulting dark disc in the Large Magellanic Cloud
• Long-term photospheric instabilities and envelopes dynamics in the post-AGB binary system 89 Herculis
• ${}^{12}$CO emission from the Red Rectangle
• The solar-like "Second Spectrum" and the polarised metal lines in emission of the post-AGB binary 89 Herculis
• Polarimetric characterization of segmented mirrors