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“Planetary Nebulae: Insight into Outflows” Dr. Bruce Balick University of Washington |
| Planetary nebulae (PNe) are bright, largely unobscured examples of stellar outflows. Their distances allow imaging studies on size scales of ~10 AU using HST, sufficient for resolving some shocks and monitoring pattern changes in structure over a decade. This, coupled with Doppler-shift maps, density, and temperature diagnostics, allow a good mapping of many hydrodynamic state variables. I shall review some of the hydro studies based on these measurables. On the other hand, the more we probe, the more complex PNe and their immediate antecedents appear, challenging our understanding of their outflow mechanisms, such as the role of nearby binaries and strong, local magnetic fields. My talk is a primer of the work in progress and the science opportunities to be enabled by new generations of instruments. |