ALMA Observations of the Water Fountain Pre-Planetary Nebula IRAS 16342-3814: High-velocity bipolar jets and an Expanding Torus

TL;DR

This study uses ALMA to map molecular lines in the water-fountain pre-planetary nebula IRAS 16342-3814, revealing high-velocity jets, an expanding torus, and recent mass-loss events, providing insights into nebula formation.

Contribution

First detailed ALMA mapping of molecular outflows and structures in IRAS 16342, highlighting recent mass-loss and jet formation mechanisms in pre-planetary nebulae.

Findings

Detection of high-velocity bipolar jets

Identification of an expanding torus of 1300 AU

Evidence of a recent increase in mass-loss rate

Abstract

We have mapped 12CO J=3-2 and other molecular lines from the "water-fountain" bipolar pre-planetary nebula (PPN) IRAS 16342-3814 with ~0."35 resolution using ALMA. We find (i) two very high-speed knotty, jet-like molecular outflows, (ii) a central high-density (> few x 10^6 cm^{-3}), expanding torus of diameter 1300 AU, and (iii) the circumstellar envelope of the progenitor AGB, generated by a sudden, very large increase in the mass-loss rate to >3.5 x 10^{-4} Msun/yr in the past ~455 yr. Strong continuum emission at 0.89 mm from a central source (690 mJy), if due to thermally-emitting dust, implies a substantial mass (0.017 Msun) of very large (~mm-sized) grains. The measured expansion ages of the above structural components imply that the torus (age~160 yr) and the younger high-velocity outflow (age~110 yr) were formed soon after the sharp increase in the AGB mass-loss rate. Assuming a binary model for the jets in IRAS 16342, the high momentum rate for the dominant jet-outflow in IRAS 16342 implies a high minimum accretion rate, ruling out standard Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton wind accretion and wind Roche lobe overflow (RLOF) models with white-dwarf or main-sequence companions. Most likely, enhanced RLOF from the primary or accretion modes operating within common envelope evolution are needed.