Bibcode
DOI
Doyle, Sean; Balick, Bruce; Corradi, R. L. M.; Schwarz, H. E.
Referencia bibliográfica
The Astronomical Journal, Volume 119, Issue 3, pp. 1339-1344.
Fecha de publicación:
3
2000
Número de citas
47
Número de citas referidas
38
Descripción
The planetary nebula M2-9 has drastically changed its shape since its
discovery by Minkwoski. Although the outline of the nebula seems to be
stationary, most of the knots and bright features (N1, N2, S1, and S2)
have moved laterally from the west to the east edges of both lobes.
These features and their changes have reflection, not point, symmetry.
We have compiled high-quality CCD images in Hα and [O III]
obtained every 2-5 years since 1985 to monitor position and
morphological changes in the individual knots. Our results show that the
recent structural changes are more complex than suggested previously.
The pattern of changes resemble a rotating corkscrew-like pattern, as if
a precessing ionization/excitation beam inscribes the knots and
filaments on the pencil-shaped lobe edges. The beam flow speed is no
higher than 0.01c, so the beam is not a light beam. Its rotation period
is about 120 yr. The corkscrew pattern and its apparent speed render
many simple models implausible. The model of beads sliding along a
helical wire is easily ruled out by observations. A model that may work
is a combination of a beam and a spray of energetic particles, both
invisible and moving radially at about 1000 km s-1, which
shock-heats and ionizes the walls of the lobes as the beams precess.