Weak and Extended H2 Emission in NGC 6369

TL;DR

This study investigates the physical structure of NGC 6369, revealing a bipolar inner shell and a surrounding photo-dissociation region with molecular hydrogen and PAH emissions, using multi-wavelength observations.

Contribution

It provides detailed imaging and spectral analysis confirming the bipolar structure and identifying molecular and PAH emissions in the PDR of NGC 6369.

Findings

Confirmation of bipolar structure of the inner shell

Detection of H2 and PAH emissions in the PDR

Evidence of molecular inclusions outside the bright inner shell

Abstract

NGC 6369 is a double-shell PN with a filamentary outer shell or envelope and faint bipolar extensions. We have used ground- and space-based narrowband optical and near-IR images, broadband mid-IR images, optical long-slit echelle spectra, and mid-IR spectra to investigate its physical structure. The observations confirm a bipolar structure for the inner shell of NGC 6369, but they also reveal evidence for H2 and strong polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) emission from a photo-dissociation region (PDR) with molecular inclusions located outside the bright inner shell.