Toward Precision Cosmology with Improved PNLF Distances Using VLT-MUSEI. Methodology and Tests

Roth, Martin; Jacoby, George H.; Ciardullo, Robin; Davis, Brian D.; Chase, Owen; Weilbacher, Peter M.

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ac02ca

Cited by 17 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 98 publications

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“…Planetary nebulae (PNe) are iconic astronomical objects where the hot core of a former giant star illuminates expelled envelope material. They not only highlight spectacular mass loss episodes in stellar evolution, but they are also instrumental as standard candles in the cosmic distance ladder (Roth et al 2021). In 80%-85% of cases, the nebulae are asymmetric, with pronounced bipolar shapes, and some show jet-like features (Sahai & Trauger 1998;Parker et al 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Bipolar planetary nebulae from common-envelope evolution of binary stars

Ondratschek

Roepke

Schneider

et al. 2022

A&A

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Asymmetric shapes and evidence for binary central stars suggest a common-envelope origin for many bipolar planetary nebulae. The bipolar components of the nebulae are observed to expand faster than the rest, and the more slowly expanding material has been associated with the bulk of the envelope ejected during the common-envelope phase of a stellar binary system. Common-envelope evolution in general remains one of the biggest uncertainties in binary star evolution, and the origin of the fast outflow has not been explained satisfactorily. We perform three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations of common-envelope interaction with the moving-mesh code AREPO. Starting from the plunge-in of the companion into the envelope of an asymptotic-giant-branch star and covering hundreds of orbits of the binary star system, we are able to follow the evolution to complete envelope ejection. We find that magnetic fields are strongly amplified in two consecutive episodes: first, when the companion spirals in the envelope and, second, when it forms a contact binary with the core of the former giant star. In the second episode, a magnetically driven, high-velocity outflow of gas is launched self-consistently in our simulations. The outflow is bipolar, and the gas is additionally collimated by the ejected common envelope. The resulting structure reproduces typical morphologies and velocities observed in young planetary nebulae. We propose that the magnetic driving mechanism is a universal consequence of common-envelope interaction that is responsible for a substantial fraction of observed planetary nebulae. Such a mechanism likely also exists in the common-envelope phase of other binary stars that lead to the formation of Type Ia supernovae, X-ray binaries, and gravitational-wave merger events.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Bipolar planetary nebulae from common-envelope evolution of binary stars

Ondratschek

Roepke

Schneider

et al. 2022

A&A

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“…To distinguish between H ii regions, supernova remnants (SNR), and planetary nebulae (PNe), the traditionally used diagnostics are based on the relative strengths of the Hα, [N ii]λ6583, and the sum of [S ii]λ6716+[S ii]λ6731 (hereafter [S ii]λ6716+31) emission lines. These diagnostics are defined in greater detail in Fesen et al (1985), Frew &Parker (2010), andSabin et al (2013), for example, and were used for MUSE datacubes to identify PNe in (Roth et al 2021).…”

Section: Classification Of Emission Line Objects Via a Bpt Diagrammentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is shown in Figure 2, where objects classified based on [N ii]λ6583/Hα (top panel) cross over the separation lines in the [S ii]λ6716 + 31/Hα diagram (bottom panel), highlighting the continuous nature of the sample properties. While our goal is to obtain a sample of H ii regions, we are aware that the emission line properties comprise a continuous distribution, and hence we cannot claim that the blue data points in Figure 2 Roth et al (2021). We compared our resulting labels to the list of identified PNe in Roth et al (2018) and find that while most of the 22 objects in common have matching PNe labels, 6 of the objects are not identified as PNe by the [N ii]λ6583based BPT diagram.…”

Section: Classification Of Emission Line Objects Via a Bpt Diagrammentioning

confidence: 99%

MUSE crowded field 3D spectroscopy in NGC 300

Micheva

Roth

Weilbacher

et al. 2022

A&A

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Context. There are known differences between the physical properties of H ii and diffuse ionized gas (DIG). However, most of the studied regions in the literature are relatively bright, with log 10 L(Hα)[erg/s] 37. Aims. We compiled an extremely faint sample of 390 H ii regions with a median Hα luminosity of 34.7 in the flocculent spiral galaxy NGC 300, derived their physical properties in terms of metallicity, density, extinction, and kinematics, and performed a comparative analysis of the properties of the DIG. Methods. We used MUSE data of nine fields in NGC 300, covering a galactocentric distance of zero to ∼ 450 arcsec (∼ 4 projected kpc), including spiral arm and inter-arm regions. We binned the data in dendrogram leaves and extracted all strong nebular emission lines. We identified H ii and DIG regions and compared their electron densities, metallicity, extinction, and kinematic properties. We also tested the effectiveness of unsupervised machine-learning algorithms in distinguishing between the H ii and DIG regions. Results. The gas density in the H ii and DIG regions is close to the low-density limit in all fields. The average velocity dispersion in the DIG is higher than in the H ii regions, which can be explained by the DIG being 1.8 kK hotter than H ii gas. The DIG manifests a lower ionization parameter than H ii gas, and the DIG fractions vary between 15-77%, with strong evidence of a contribution by hot low-mass evolved stars and shocks to the DIG ionization. Most of the DIG is consistent with no extinction and an oxygen metallicity that is indistinguishable from that of the H ii gas. We observe a flat metallicity profile in the central region of NGC 300, without a sign of a gradient. Conclusions. The differences between extremely faint H ii and DIG regions follow the same trends and correlations as their much brighter cousins. Both types of objects are so heterogeneous, however, that the differences within each class are larger than the differences between the two classes.

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“…The [O iii] λ5007 planetary nebula luminosity function (PNLF; Jacoby 1980) is the number density of planetary nebulae (PNe) in a stellar system as a function of their luminosity in that specific emission line. It has been measured in more than 50 galaxies, proving to be an important standard secondary candle on the extragalactic distance ladder out to ∼20 Mpc (see Ciardullo 2013, and references therein), and it is planned to be extended out to ∼50 Mpc (Chase et al 2021) using novel detection and analysis techniques with the VLT Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) and similar instruments (Spriggs et al 2020;Roth et al 2021) The method is based on the empirical evidence that the luminosity of a statistical set of PNe in the [O iii] λ5007 nebular emission line reaches a maximum value that is invariant with galaxy type and only has a mild dependence on metallicity (e.g., Dopita et al 1992;Ciardullo 2010). This emission includes up to 80% of the entire light emitted by a PN (typically L ∼ 10 4 L ), which, for the brightest objects, means ∼600 L emitted in just a single line (Schönberner et al 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the most luminous planetary nebulae of M 31

Galera-Rosillo

Mampaso

Corradi

et al. 2022

A&A

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Context. The planetary nebula luminosity function (PNLF) is a standard candle that comprises a key rung on the extragalactic distance ladder. The method is based on the empirical evidence that the luminosity function of planetary nebulae (PNe) in the [O III] λ5007 nebular emission line reaches a maximum value that is approximately invariant with population age, metallicity, or host galaxy type. However, the presence of bright PNe in old stellar populations is not easily explained by single-star evolutionary models. Aims. To gain information about the progenitors of PNe at the tip of the PNLF, we obtained the deepest existing spectra of a sample of PNe in the galaxy M 31 to determine their physico-chemical properties and infer the post-asymptotic giant branch (AGB) masses of their central stars (CSs). Precise chemical abundances allow us to confront the theoretical yields for AGB stellar masses and metallicities expected at the bright end of the PNLF. Central star masses of the sampled PNe provide direct information on the controversial origin of the universal cutoff of the PNLF. Methods. Using the OSIRIS instrument at the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC), optical spectra of nine bright M 31 PNe were obtained: four of them at the tip of the PNLF, and the other five some 0.5 mag fainter. A control sample of 21 PNe with previous GTC spectra from the literature is also included. We analyze their physical properties and chemical abundances (He, N, O, Ar, Ne, and S), searching for relevant differences between bright PNe and the control samples. The CS masses are estimated with Cloudy modeling using the most recent evolutionary tracks. Results. The studied PNe show a remarkable uniformity in all their nebular properties, and the brightest PNe show relatively large electron densities. Stellar characteristics also span a narrow range: ⟨L*/L⊙⟩ = 4300 ± 310, ⟨Teff⟩ = 122 000 ± 10 600 K for the CSs of the four brightest PNe, and ⟨L*/L⊙⟩ = 3300 ± 370, ⟨Teff⟩ = 135 000 ± 26 000 K for those in the control set. This groups all the brightest PNe at the location of maximum temperature in the post-AGB tracks for stars with initial masses Mi = 1.5 M⊙. Conclusions. These figures provide robust observational constraints for the stellar progenitors that produce the PNLF cutoff in a star-forming galaxy such as M 31, where a large range of initial masses is in principle available. Inconsistency is found, however, in the computed N/O abundance ratios of five nebulae, which are 1.5 to 3 times larger than predicted by the existing nucleosynthesis models for stars of these masses.

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Toward Precision Cosmology with Improved PNLF Distances Using VLT-MUSEI. Methodology and Tests

Cited by 17 publications

References 98 publications

Bipolar planetary nebulae from common-envelope evolution of binary stars

Bipolar planetary nebulae from common-envelope evolution of binary stars

MUSE crowded field 3D spectroscopy in NGC 300

On the most luminous planetary nebulae of M 31

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