The Molecular exoskeleton of the ring-like planetary nebula NGC 3132

Joel H. Kastner, David J. Wilner, Paula Moraga Baez, Jesse Bublitz, Orsola De Marco, Raghvendra Sahai, Al Wootten

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Abstract

We present Submillimeter Array (SMA) mapping of 12CO J = 2 → 1, 13CO J = 2 → 1, and CN N = 2 → 1 emission from the ring-like planetary nebula NGC 3132, one of the subjects of JWST Early Release Observation near-infrared imaging. The ∼5″ resolution SMA data demonstrate that the Southern Ring’s main, bright, molecule-rich ring is indeed an expanding ring, as opposed to a limb-brightened shell, in terms of its intrinsic (physical) structure. This suggests that NGC 3132 is a bipolar nebula viewed more or less pole-on (inclination ∼15°-30°). The SMA data furthermore reveal that the nebula harbors a second expanding molecular ring that is aligned almost orthogonally to the main, bright molecular ring. We propose that this two-ring structure is the remnant of an ellipsoidal molecular envelope of ejecta that terminated the progenitor star’s asymptotic giant branch evolution and was subsequently disrupted by a series of misaligned fast, collimated outflows or jets resulting from interactions between the progenitor and one or more companions.

Original languageEnglish
Article number21
Pages (from-to)1-15
Number of pages15
JournalAstrophysical Journal
Volume965
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Apr 2024

Bibliographical note

© 2024. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

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