AN EXTENSIVE STUDY OF PLANETARY-NEBULAE IN THE GALACTIC BULGE .4. THE LUMINOSITY FUNCTION AS A PROBE OF THE PLANETARY-NEBULAE POPULATION

• Tipo: Artigo em Revista Científica Internacional
• Data: 1991

Autores

STASINSKA, G (Autor) Outra; FRESNEAU, A (Autor) Outra; GAMEIRO, GFD (Autor) Outra; ACKER, A (Autor) Outra

Revista

Título: Astronomy and Astrophysics

Vol. 252

Páginas: 762-774

ISSN: 0004-6361

Editora: EDP Sciences

Indexação

ISI Web of Knowledge - 6 Citações

Classificação Científica

FOS: Ciências exactas e naturais > Física

Outras Informações

ID Authenticus: P-001-Q8Y

Abstract (EN): We have studied the luminosity function in the [O III] and H-beta lines of planetary nebulae in the Galactic bulge. After a selection of a complete subsample, we have compared the observed luminosity functions with theoretical ones obtained by Monte Carlo methods for different distributions of the central star masses and for different sets of physical properties for the nebular models. We have found that the theoretical luminosity functions are compatible with the observed ones if the nebular envelopes have typically a mass of about 0.2 M.. Some constraints were obtained on the central star mass distribution above 0.56 M.. If the latter is to be represented by a Gaussian of mean M0 and standard deviation sigma(M) with a low mass cut-off, it can be characterized by M0 = 0.57-0.60 M., and sigma(M) = 0.04-0.05 M.. These results, derived from a study of the luminosity function, are entirely consistent with the conclusions of Papers II and III of this series, thus adding support to our standard model for the evolution of PN. We have also estimated the total count of planetary nebulae in the Galactic bulge. The number we found, after a careful discussion of all the selection effects, amounts to 600-700. This is significantly smaller than the most recent evaluations, and means that about 40% of all the Galactic bulge planetary nebulae have been presently identified optically.

Idioma: Inglês

Tipo (Avaliação Docente): Científica

Nº de páginas: 13