Physics of Ionized Nebulae

    General
    Description

    The research that is being carried out by the group can be condensed into two main lines:

    1) Study of the structure, dynamics, physical conditions and chemical evolution of Galactic and extragalactic ionized nebulae through detailed analysis and modelization of their spectra. Investigation of chemical composition gradients along the disk of our Galaxy and in nearby galaxies.

    2) Determine the physical-chemical conditions of galactic planetary nebulae with bipolar geometry and nebulae around symbiotic stars. The aim is to understand the origin of bipolarity and to test theoretical models that attempt to explain nebular morphology and kinematics, with special emphasis on models with central binary stars. We will also study the implications of the evolution of binary systems in other astrophysical scenarios, such as the formation of jets, cataclysmic variables, and nova and supernova-type explosions.

    Principal investigator
    Project manager
    Collaborators
    Dr.
    A.R. López Sánchez
    Dr.
    N.C. Sterling
    Dr.
    R. Wesson
    Dr.
    T. Hillwig
    Dr.
    U. Munari
    Dr.
    M. Santander García
    Prof.
    L. Konstantinou
    Dr.
    D. R. Gonçalves
    1. Using EMIR/GTC spectra in the near infrared range, tellurium and bromine emission lines have been detected for the first time in two planetary nebulae. These heavy element detections in one of their places where they are formed, give us information about the abundance patterns of heavy elements owing to the r-process and the s-process.

    Related publications

    Planetary nebulae seen with TESS: Discovery of new binary central star candidates from Cycle 1 2020A&A...635A.128A
    Ondřejov Echelle Spectrograph, Ground Based Support Facility for Exoplanet Missions 2020PASP..132c5002K
    Carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen abundance gradients in M101 and M31 2020MNRAS.491.2137E
    On the triple-star origin of the planetary nebula Sh 2-71 2019MNRAS.489.2195J
    First Evidence of Enhanced Recombination in Astrophysical Environments and the Implications for Plasma Diagnostics 2019ApJ...887L...9N
    Ionization correction factors for sodium, potassium, and calcium in planetary nebulae 2020MNRAS.492..950A
    Accretion and outflow in V404 Cyg 2019MNRAS.488.1356C
    Detection Limits of Exoplanetary Atmospheres with 2-m Class Telescopes 2019PASP..131h5001K
    Spectral analysis of the barium central star of the planetary nebula Hen 2-39 2019A&A...624A...1L
    A New Einstein Cross Gravitational Lens of a Lyman-break Galaxy 2019ApJ...873L..14B
    Bolometric Treatment of Irradiation Effects: General Discussion and Application to Binary Stars 2019ApJS..240...36H
    Co-spatial UV-optical HST/STIS spectra of six planetary nebulae: nebular and stellar properties 2019MNRAS.482..278M
    The short orbital period binary star at the heart of the planetary nebula M 3-1★ 2019MNRAS.482L..75J
    On the post-common-envelope central star of the planetary nebula NGC 2346 2019MNRAS.482.4951B
    Chemistry in the dIrr galaxy Leo A 2018MNRAS.481..396R
    Confirmation of the link between central star binarity and extreme abundance discrepancy factors in planetary nebulae 2018MNRAS.480.4589W
    Neutron-capture Elements in Planetary Nebulae: First Detections of Near-infrared [Te III] and [Br V] Emission Lines 2018ApJ...861L...8M
    Revisiting the radial abundance gradients of nitrogen and oxygen of the Milky Way 2018MNRAS.478.2315E
    C/O ratios in planetary nebulae with dual-dust chemistry from faint optical recombination lines 2018MNRAS.473.4476G
    The planetary nebula IC 4776 and its post-common-envelope binary central star 2017MNRAS.471.3529S
    The radial abundance gradient of oxygen towards the Galactic anti-centre 2017MNRAS.471..987E
    Neutron-capture element abundances in the planetary nebula NGC 5315 from deep optical and near-infrared spectrophotometry★† 2017MNRAS.471.1341M
    The kinematic behaviour of optical recombination lines and collisionally excited lines in Galactic planetary nebulae*† 2017MNRAS.472.1182P
    Identification of Near-infrared [Se iii] and [Kr vi] Emission Lines in Planetary Nebulae 2017ApJ...840...80S
    Carbon and oxygen in H II regions of the Magellanic Clouds: abundance discrepancy and chemical evolution 2017MNRAS.467.3759T
    Detection of a large Be circumstellar disk during X-ray quiescence of XTE J1946+274 2015A&A...582A..53O
    The radial abundance gradient of chlorine in the Milky Way 2015MNRAS.452.1553E
    s-process enrichment in the planetary nebula NGC 3918. Results from deep echelle spectrophotometry 2015MNRAS.452.2606G
    Ionized gas in the XUV disc of the NGC 1512/1510 system 2015MNRAS.450.3381L
    Binarity and the Abundance Discrepancy Problem in Planetary Nebulae 2015ApJ...803...99C
    Observing and Reducing IFUs: INTEGRAL and PMAS—Properties of the Ionized Gas in HH 202 2014AdAst2014E...2L
    PyNeb: a new tool for analyzing emission lines. I. Code description and validation of results 2015A&A...573A..42L
    Physical conditions derived from O II recombination lines in planetary nebulae and their implications 2014RMxAA..50..329P
    The Cocoon nebula and its ionizing star: do stellar and nebular abundances agree? 2014A&A...571A..93G
    Recent activity of the Be/X-ray binary system SAX J2103.5+4545 2014A&A...568A.115C
    Kinematic study of planetary nebulae in NGC 6822 2014A&A...568A..82F
    Carbon and oxygen abundances from recombination lines in low-metallicity star-forming galaxies. Implications for chemical evolution 2014MNRAS.443..624E
    The planetary nebula IPHASXJ211420.0+434136 (Ou5): insights into common-envelope dynamical and chemical evolution 2014MNRAS.441.2799C
    The Trace of the CNO Cycle in the Ring Nebula NGC 6888 2014ApJ...785..100M
    Deep high spectral resolution spectroscopy and chemical composition of ionized nebulae 2014AN....335...73E