3-D structures of planetary nebulae

Wolfgang Steffen

Instituto de Astronomia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico

Currently one of the key issues in research on planetary nebulae is the mechanism for the formation of bipolar and multiple ejection directions. The discussion revolves around the presence of binary central stars, rotating single stars or the interaction of an isotropic wind with a complex circumstellar environment. The research depends strongly on two lines of investigation, the theoretical study of the observable 3-D consequences from the structure formation mechanisms and the characterization of the three-dimensional structure and kinematics of observed planetary nebulae. A detailed comparison of theoretical predictions with observed structures for a large number of nebulae is essential. However, a variety of problems can produce incorrect interpretation and classification, including the loss of information through the projection on the two-dimensional image plane. Therefore, 3-D reconstruction of nebulae with the aid of kinematic information from spectroscopy becomes essential. In this talk we will give an overview of recent reconstructions and the reconstruction techniques. We will also point towards potential pitfalls in the interpretation of kinematic data that can lead to incorrect suggestions of formation mechanisms and propose improvements and solutions to these problems.

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