The bipolar jet of the symbiotic star R Aquarii: A study of its morphology using the high-resolution HST WFC3/UVIS camera

TL;DR

This study uses high-resolution HST images to analyze the complex morphology and proper motions of the bipolar jet in the symbiotic star R Aquarii, revealing detailed structures, a helical pattern, and evidence of gas acceleration.

Contribution

First detailed high-resolution imaging of R Aqr's jet morphology, including the discovery of a highly-collimated jet and a helical pattern indicating precession.

Findings

Identification of a straight, highly-collimated jet up to 900 AU

Detection of a helical pattern in the jet beams

Confirmation of gas acceleration during outflow propagation

Abstract

R Aqr is a symbiotic binary system consisting of a Mira variable with a pulsation period of 387 days and a hot companion which is presumably a white dwarf with an accretion disk. This binary system is the source of a prominent bipolar gaseous outflow. We use high spatial resolution and sensitive images from the Hubble Space Telescope to identify and investigate the different structural components that form the complex morphology of the R Aqr jet . Methods. We present new high-resolution HST WFC3/UVIS narrow-band images of the R Aqr jet obtained in 2013/14 in the light of the [OIII] 5007, [OI] 6300, [NII] 6583, and Ha emission lines. These images also allow us to produce detailed maps of the jet flow in several line ratios such as [OIII]/[OI] and [NII]/[OI] which are sensitive to the outflow temperature and its hydrogen ionisation fraction. The new emission maps together with archival HST data are used to derive and analyse the proper motion of prominent emitting features which can be traced over 20 years with the HST observations. The images reveal the fine gas structure of the jet out to distances of a few ten arcseconds from the central region, as well as in the innermost region, within a few arcseconds around the stellar source. They reveal for the first time the straight highly-collimated jet component which can be traced to up to 900 AU in the NE direction. Images in [OIII], [OI], and [NII] clearly show a helical pattern in the jet beams which may derive from the small-scale precession of the jet. The highly-collimated jet is accompanied by a wide opening angle outflow which is filled by low excitation gas. The position angles of the jet structures as well as their opening angles are calculated. Our measurements of the proper motions of some prominent emission knots confirm the scenario of gas acceleration during the propagation of the outflow.