A Search for Shock Signatures in the Spectra of Planetary Nebulae

Dinerstein博士将执行一个光谱观测项目，在行星状星云的光谱中寻找激波活动的表现。虽然冲击和流体动力学过程被认为是行星状星云结构形成和演化的主要机制，但瞬时热平衡和电离/化学平衡仍然主要由辐射过程决定。PI将重新检查冲击对观测到的行星状星云光谱的总体贡献。她的观测工作将为流体动力学模型提供新的测试和约束，并将区分光电离和激波加热对观测光谱的贡献，从而更准确地确定星云的特性，如密度、质量和发射气体的组成。* * *

Dinerstein, Harriet AST-9731156 Dr. Dinerstein will carry out a program of spectroscopic observations to search for manifestations of shock activity in the spectra of planetary nebulae. While shocks and hydrodynamical processes are considered to be the primary mechanisms for the formation and evolution of the structure of planetary nebulae, the instantaneous thermal and ionization/chemical equilibria are still primarily treated as determined by radiative processes. The PI will re-examine the overall contribution of shocks to the observed spectra of planetary nebulae. Her observational work will provide new tests and constraints for the hydrodynamical models and will distinguish photo-ionized from shock-heated contributions to the observed spectrum, allowing a more accurate determination of nebular properties such as the density, mass, and composition of the emitting gas. ***