Shaping Planetary Nebulae by Jets

TL;DR

This study uses 2D hydrodynamical simulations to explore how collimated fast winds influence planetary nebula shapes, revealing the importance of wind history and jet angles, and identifying hot bipolar bubbles as X-ray sources.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the role of jets and wind history in shaping planetary nebulae, highlighting the need for additional physics to explain all observed morphologies.

Findings

PN shape depends on AGB wind history and jet opening angle

Simulations produce some observed PN morphologies

Hot bipolar bubbles are identified as X-ray sources

Abstract

We conduct 2D axisymmetrical hydrodynamical simulations to investigate the interaction of a collimated fast wind (CFW; wide jets) with a spherical AGB wind. The code includes radiative cooling. We find that the shape of the planetary nebula (PN) is sensitive to the exact mass loss history of the AGB wind, and the opening angle of the CFW. Some typical PN morphologies are obtained, but many other observed morphologies seem to require more ingredients than what we assume in our present simulations, e.g., equatorial AGB wind, and ionization and fast wind during the PN phase. The hot bipolar bubble formed by the jets is an X-ray source.