X-ray and UV Views of Hot Gas in Planetary Nebulae

Abstract

The interior of a planetary nebula (PN) is expected to be filled with shocked fast wind from the central star. This hot gas plays the most important role in the dynamical evolution of the PN; however, its physical conditions are not well-known because useful X-ray and far-UV observations were not available until the advent of Chandra, XMM-Newton, and FUSE. This paper reviews X-ray observations of the hot gas in PN interiors and far-UV observations of the interfaces between the hot gas and the dense nebular shells.

arXiv comment9 pages, 4 figs. Invited review, IAU Symposium No. 209, Planetary Nebulae: Their Evolution and Role in the Universe (Canberra, Australia, November 19 - 23 2001), in press