Turbulent planetary nebulae around [WC]–type stars^*

¹ Observatoire astronomique de Strasbourg, 11 rue de l'Université, 67000 Strasbourg, France
² Centrum Astronomii UMK, ul.Gagarina 11, 87-100 Torun, Poland e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
³ Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, C/. Vía Láctea s/n, 38 200 La Laguna (Tenerife), Spain e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
⁴ Instituto astronomico e geofísico da USP, Av. Miguel Stefano 4200, 04301-904, São Paulo SP, Brazil e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Corresponding author: A. Acker, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Received: 19 July 2001
Accepted: 19 December 2001

Abstract

Through a high-resolution spectroscopic survey, we analyze the velocity field of 16 planetary nebulae with [WC]- or wels-type nuclei in comparison with 8 nebulae having other central star types. We found spectral evidence for finite turbulent velocities in [WC]-type planetary nebulae superimposed on an essentially constant expansion velocity pattern. The nebulae around O-type stars show no evidences for significant turbulence while their expansion velocity is found to increase outwards. Both types of nebulae show the same mean expansion velocity. Our results support the earlier suggestions that nebulae surrounding [WC] central stars are likely related to long-lasting momentum-driven phase bubbles. Turbulence in the nebulae can be either triggered, or enhanced, by stellar wind inhomogeneities that appear ubiquitous in Wolf-Rayet nuclei.