Serbian Astronomical Journal (Jun 2008)

Optical Spectra of Radio Planetary Nebulae in the Small Magellanic Cloud

  • Payne, J. L.,
  • Filipović, M. D.,
  • Crawford, E. J.,
  • De Horta, A. Y.,
  • White, G. L.,
  • Stootman, F. H.

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 176
pp. 65 – 70

Abstract

Read online

We present preliminary results from spectral observations of four (4) candidate radio sources co-identified with known planetary nebulae (PNe) in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). These were made using the Radcliffe 1.9-meter telescope in Sutherland, South Africa. These radio PNe were originally found in Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) surveys of the SMC at 1.42 and 2.37~GHz, and were further confirmed by new high resolution ATCA images at 6 and 3 cm (4arcsec/2arcsec). Optical PNe and radio candidates are within 2arcsec and may represent a sub-population of selected radio bright objects. Nebular ionized masses of these objects may be 2.6~$M_odot$ or greater, supporting the existence of PNe progenitor central stars with masses up to 8 $M_odot$.

Keywords