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Zooming on the emerging ionized regions of pPNe with ALMA

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 October 2025

C. Sánchez Contreras Open the ORCID record for C. Sánchez Contreras [Opens in a new window] ,
D. Tafoya ,
J. P. Fonfría ,
J. Alcolea Open the ORCID record for J. Alcolea [Opens in a new window] ,
A. Castro-Carrizo  and
V. Bujarrabal
C. Sánchez Contreras*
Affiliation:
Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA. Postal address: ESAC, Camino Bajo del Castillo s/n, E-28692, Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid, Spain.
D. Tafoya
Affiliation:
Department of Space, Earth and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, Onsala Space Observatory, 439 92 Onsala, Sweden.
J. P. Fonfría
Affiliation:
Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA. Postal address: ESAC, Camino Bajo del Castillo s/n, E-28692, Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid, Spain.
J. Alcolea
Affiliation:
Observatorio Astronómico Nacional (IGN), Alfonso XII No 3, 28014 Madrid, Spain.
A. Castro-Carrizo
Affiliation:
Institut de Radioastronomie Millimetrique, 300 rue de la Piscine, 38406 Saint Martin d’Heres, France
V. Bujarrabal
Affiliation:
Observatorio Astronómico Nacional (IGN), Alfonso XII No 3, 28014 Madrid, Spain.
*
email: csanchez@cab.inta-csic.es
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Abstract

We report on recent results from our successful and pioneering observational program with ALMA to study emerging ultracompact HII regions of pre-planetary nebulae (pPNe) using mm-wavelength recombination lines (mRRLs) as new optimal tracers. We focus on our study of two poster-child pPNe, namely, M 2-9 and CRL 618. We reveal the structure and kinematics of the enigmatic inner nebular regions of these objects with an unprecedented angular resolution down to 20-30 mas (∼15-30 AU linear scales). For both targets, the ionized central regions are elongated along the main symmetry axis of the large-scale nebulae, consistent with bipolar winds, and show notable axial velocity gradients with expansion velocities of up to ∼100 kms. The intensity and width of the H30α profiles are found to be time variable, denoting changes on scales of a few years of the physical properties and kinematics of the present-day post-AGB ejections. Our ongoing analysis involves 3D, non-LTE radiative transfer modeling of the mRRLs and free-free continuum emission. This approach allows us to provide an exceptionally detailed description of the physical conditions in the innermost layers of these well known pPNe.

Keywords

stars: AGB and post-AGBcircumstellar matterstars: mass-lossstars: windsoutflowsplanetary nebulae: individual (M 2-9, CRL 618)

Information

Type
Contributed Paper
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 19 , Symposium S384: Planetary Nebulae: A Universal Toolbox in the Era of Precision Astrophysics , December 2023 , pp. 330 - 336
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of International Astronomical Union

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