An Infrared Survey of Neutron-Capture Elements in Planetary Nebulae

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dc.creatorSterling, N. C.
dc.creatorDinerstein, H. L.
dc.date2004-08-25
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T02:14:24Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T02:14:24Z
dc.descriptionWe present results from an ongoing survey of infrared emission lines from the neutron-capture elements Se and Kr in Galactic planetary nebulae (PNe). Se and Kr may be produced in the initial steps of the s-process during the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase of PN progenitor stars, and brought to the surface by convective dredge-up before PN ejection. Therefore, enriched Se and Kr abundances in PNe indicate that the s-process and dredge-up were active within the progenitor stars. We have detected the emission lines [Kr III] 2.199 and [Se IV] 2.287 microns in 68 of 119 Galactic PNe, and used these line fluxes to derive ionic and total elemental abundances. Using the ionization correction factors Se^{3+}/Se = Ar^{++}/Ar and Kr^{++}/Kr = S^{++}/S, we find a range of Se and Kr abundances, from nearly solar to enriched by a factor of 5-10 times, which implies varying degrees of dredge-up efficiency in the progenitor stars. We have searched for correlations between n-capture element abundances and other nebular properties, and find that PNe with Wolf-Rayet central stars tend to exhibit more elevated Se and Kr abundances than other nebulae. Bipolar nebulae, believed to arise from the most massive of PN progenitors, may have lower n-capture abundances than elliptical PNe.
dc.description4 pages, to appear in "Cosmic Abundances as Records of Stellar Evolution and Nucleosynthesis", ASP Conf. Ser., ed. T. Barnes and F. Bash
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0408481
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0408481
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/8098
dc.subjectAstrophysics
dc.titleAn Infrared Survey of Neutron-Capture Elements in Planetary Nebulae
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