Revised Diagnostic Diagrams for Planetary Nebulae

 

H. Riesgo¹ and J. A. López¹

 

¹ Instituto de Astronomía, UNAM, Apdo. Postal 877, 22860 Ensenada, B. C., México (hriesgo@astrosen.unam.mx, jal@astrosen.unam.mx).

 

Received 2005 September 28
Accepted 2005 November 15

 

RESUMEN

Se presentan diagramas de diagnóstico de densidad electrónica-excitación para una muestra de 613 nebulosas planetarias. En base a esta extensa muestra se definen nuevos límites estadísticos para la distribución de nebulosas planetarias en los planos log [Hα/[S II]] [Hα/[N II]] versus log [Hα/[Nlog [Hα/[S II]] versus [SII] λλ 717/6731 y log [Hα/[S II]] versus [S II] λλ6717/6731. Los diagramas proveen una buena representación de los intervalos de condiciones físicas, indicados por estos cocientes de líneas de emisión, presentes en nebulosas planetarias en diferentes estados de evolución.

 

ABSTRACT

Diagnostic diagrams of electron density-excitation for a sample of 613 planetary nebulae are presented. The present extensive sample allows the definition of new statistical limits for the distribution of planetary nebulae in the log [Hα/[S II]] versus log [Hα/[Nlog [Hα/[S II]] versus [SII] λλ 717/6731, and log [Hα/[S II]] versus [S II] λλ6717/6731 planes. The diagrams provide a good representation of the ranges of physical conditions, indicated by these emission line ratios, present in planetary nebulae during different evolutionary stages.

Key Words: ISM: PLANETARY NEBULAE.

 

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

HR acknowledges a posgraduate scholarship from CONACYT. JAL acknowledges continued support from DGAPA-UNAM and CONACYT through grants IN112103 and 43121, respectively. We thank M. Richer and W. Steffen for their comments on this work and the anonymous referee for helping us to improve the presentation of the paper.

 

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