The hydrogen-deficient knot of the `born again' planetary nebula Abell 58 (V605 Aql)

TL;DR

This study analyzes the physical conditions and chemical abundances in the hydrogen-deficient knot of planetary nebula Abell 58, revealing extremely high abundance discrepancies and cold ionized material, challenging existing stellar evolution models.

Contribution

It provides detailed spectroscopic analysis of Abell 58's knot, highlighting unexpected oxygen-rich composition and extreme abundance discrepancy factors, contrasting with traditional 'born again' theories.

Findings

Electron temperature varies widely depending on diagnostic method.

Abundance discrepancy factor for O2+ reaches 89, second highest known.

Knot contains very cold ionized material, similar to Abell 30.

Abstract

We have analysed deep optical spectra of the `born-again' planetary nebula Abell 58 and its hydrogen-deficient knot, surrounding V605 Aql, which underwent a nova-like eruption in 1919. The electron temperature we derive for the central knot varies widely depending on the diagnostic used. The [O III] nebular-to-auroral transition ratio gives a temperature of 20800 K, while the ratio of the [N II] nebular and auroral lines give Te=15200 K. The helium line ratios 5876/4471 and 6678/4471 imply temperatures of 350 K and 550 K respectively. Weakly temperature-sensitive O II recombination line ratios imply similarly low electron temperatures. Abundances derived from recombination lines are vastly higher than those found from collisionally excited lines, with the abundance discrepancy factor (adf) for O2+ reaching 89 -- the second highest known value after that found for the hydrogen deficient knots in Abell 30. The observed temperature diagnostics and abundances support the idea that, like Abell 30, the knot of Abell 58 contains some very cold ionised material. Although the central star is carbon-rich (C/O>1), the knot is found to be oxygen-rich, a situation not predicted by the single-star `born again' theory of its formation. We argue that the abundances in the ejecta observed in A 30 and A 58 have more in common with neon novae than with Sakurai's Object, which is believed to have undergone a final helium flash. In particular, the C/O ratio of less than unity and presence of substantial quantities of neon in the ejecta of both Abell 30 and Abell 58 are not predicted by very late thermal pulse models.